Non-noble metal doped perovskite as a promising catalyst for ammonia borane dehydrogenation

Lanthanum Strontium Cobalt (LSC) perovskite-based catalysts were prepared and evaluated in the ammonia borane dehydrogenation reaction. Doping with additional non-noble metals, such as Ni or Cu greatly enhanced the catalytic performance, especially in the case of Cu. In order to evaluate the effect of the Cu loading, catalysts with various Cu contents ranging from 0.82 to 5.42 wt.% were synthesized. It was found that the Cu-doped sample with a nominal formula of La0.7Sr0.3Co0.90Cu0.10O3 containing 2.72 wt.% of Cu displayed the highest catalytic activity among investigated, which outperformed the counterpart Cu-supported catalyst (Cu/La0.7Sr0.3CoO3). La0.7Sr0.3Co0.90Cu0.10O3 showed good durability during five consecutive reaction runs, confirming the suitability of perovskite-type catalysts in stabilizing the catalytic active phase. The present catalytic system provides a cost-effective alternative to the noble-metal-based catalysts commonly used to catalyze the ammonia borane dehydrogenation reaction.