Carbon-Nitride Catalyst for Hydrogen Release
Official patent title
Nanocomposite of graphitic C3N4, MnO2, and MgAl2O4 for hydrogen generation
Arabic title: مركب نانوي من C.SUB.3.N.SUB.4. الجرافيتي وMnO.SUB.2. وMgAl.SUB.2.O.SUB.4 لتوليد الهيدروجين
Invention
Invention
Problem
Hydrogen release from sodium borohydride requires a catalyst that can accelerate hydrolysis under moderate conditions. Catalyst cost, activity, and practical handling constrain the usefulness of this chemical hydrogen-carrier route.
Why it matters
A sufficiently active heterogeneous catalyst could support on-demand hydrogen generation for laboratory, portable-power, or backup-energy studies, while reducing reliance on high-temperature hydrogen-release processes.
Approach
The disclosed method contacts sodium borohydride and water with a g-C3N4/MnO2/MgAl2O4 nanocomposite containing the three components in a claimed mass relationship of 5–15:2–7:75–95.
Who may benefit
Potential beneficiaries include hydrogen-generation researchers, catalyst developers, chemical-energy-storage companies, portable-power integrators, and laboratories working with sodium borohydride hydrolysis.
Potential value
The material combines a high-spinel-content support with graphitic carbon nitride and manganese dioxide and reports hydrogen-generation rates of 2,000–5,000 mL per minute per gram under the claimed conditions.
Background
Background
Sodium borohydride can release hydrogen through hydrolysis, but an uncatalyzed reaction may be too slow for controlled, on-demand use. Heterogeneous catalysts can accelerate the reaction, yet practical selection depends on activity, material cost, reusability, and compatibility with a complete hydrogen-carrier cycle. The disclosure positions a ternary nanocomposite as a catalyst for this reaction. Its relevance therefore lies in chemical hydrogen release rather than primary production of sodium borohydride or regeneration of the spent borate product.
Technology overview
Technology overview
The catalyst contains graphitic C3N4, MnO2, and MgAl2O4, preferably near a 10:5:85 mass relationship. Sodium borohydride is contacted with water and the catalyst at 10–80 °C. The disclosure reports a BET surface area of 16.2–20.2 m²/g, 5–15 nm pores, and hydrogen-generation rates of 2,000–5,000 mL/(min·g), with a two- to ten-fold increase over the uncatalyzed comparison. XRD, electron microscopy, diffraction, and hydrogen-volume measurements support the described laboratory material.
Potential applications
Potential applications
- On-demand hydrogen-generation research.
- Catalyst screening for sodium borohydride hydrolysis.
- Portable and backup fuel-cell supply studies.
- Chemical hydrogen-carrier system development.
Evidence-supported advantages
Evidence-supported advantages
- Uses a heterogeneous ternary nanocomposite.
- Operates within a moderate claimed temperature range.
- Reports defined textural and structural characterization.
- Reports a two- to ten-fold improvement over an uncatalyzed comparison.
- Limits noble-metal content in the claims.
Development stage
Development stage
Laboratory synthesis, structural characterization, and short-duration sodium-borohydride hydrolysis measurements are described; repeated-cycle durability, catalyst recovery, and integrated-system performance were not established. The development stage was not independently verified.
Commercial opportunity
Commercial opportunity
The catalyst may interest developers of chemical hydrogen cartridges and small fuel-cell systems. Commercial assessment requires repeat-use and durability data, catalyst recovery, hydrogen purity, heat and mass-balance studies, safe borohydride handling, scale-up economics, and analysis of sodium-borohydride manufacture and regeneration across the full lifecycle.
Patent classifications
Patent classifications
WIPO IPC
- C01B3/065Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
- B01J23/00Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
CPC
- B01J23/005Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J23/02Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J27/24Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J35/613Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J35/615Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J35/633Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J35/647Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J35/67Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J37/08Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- C01B3/065Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
Inventors
Inventors
- First inventorBabiker Yagoub Elhadi Abdulkhair
- InventorMohamed Nady Abd El-Hameed Ibrahim
- InventorMohamed Khairy Omran
Keywords
Keywords
- hydrogen generation
- sodium borohydride
- hydrolysis catalyst
- graphitic carbon nitride
- manganese dioxide
- magnesium aluminate
- nanocomposite
Patent document and drawings
Patent document and drawings
The patent publication is mapped to this record. Patent drawings remain within that publication; no separately cleared public media package has been supplied.