Monodisperse nickel nanoparticles and their catalysis in hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane.

Monodisperse nickel nanoparticles are prepared from the reduction of Ni(acac)(2) with borane tributylamine in the presence of oleylamine and oleic acid. Without any special treatment to remove the surfactants, the as-synthesized Ni nanoparticles supported on the Ketjen carbon support exhibit high catalytic activity in hydrogen generation from the hydrolysis of the ammonia-borane (H(3)NBH(3)) complex with a total turnover frequency value of 8.8 mol of H(2) x (mol of Ni)(-1) x min(-1). Such catalysis based on Ni nanoparticles represents a promising step toward the practical development of the H(3)NBH(3) complex as a feasible hydrogen storage medium for fuel cell applications.