US 12420267 B1Patent grantUnited States

Cobalt-Oxide Catalyst for Hydrogen Release

Official patent title

g-C3N4@CoO/MgAl2O4 nanocomposite for hydrogen generation

Arabic title: مركب نانوي من g-C.SUB.3.N.SUB.4.@CoO/MgAl.SUB.2.O.SUB.4 لتوليد الهيدروجين

Invention

Problem

Hydrogen production technologies face efficiency, cost, catalyst, infrastructure, and storage challenges, while sodium-borohydride hydrolysis needs effective catalysts and management of carrier regeneration and reaction residues.

Why it matters

A catalyst for on-demand hydrogen release from a chemical hydride could support generation research, but rate, yield, reuse, cobalt leaching, safety, feedstock lifecycle, and system economics require independent validation.

Approach

The method contacts sodium borohydride in water with a g-C3N4@CoO/MgAl2O4 nanocomposite, catalyzing hydrolysis to release hydrogen without applying an electrical potential.

Who may benefit

Potential beneficiaries include hydrogen-generation researchers, chemical-hydride system developers, catalyst manufacturers, portable-energy laboratories, and advanced-materials groups studying carbon-nitride/cobalt-oxide hybrids.

Potential value

The disclosure combines a defined three-phase catalyst, bounded hydrolysis temperature and time, a no-applied-potential embodiment, claimed hydrogen-rate values, and a corresponding thermal synthesis route.

Background

Hydrogen is investigated as an energy carrier, but production, storage, distribution, catalyst cost, and infrastructure remain major constraints. Steam methane reforming produces carbon emissions unless paired with capture, while electrolysis can require substantial electrical input. Chemical hydrides such as sodium borohydride provide another hydrogen-release route, yet their overall value depends on catalyst efficiency, safe handling, reaction control, residual products, and regeneration of the spent carrier. The patent proposes a cobalt-oxide/carbon-nitride/magnesium-aluminate catalyst for aqueous borohydride hydrolysis.

Technology overview

The nanocomposite contains 5–15 wt.% g-C3N4, 1–10 wt.% CoO, and 75–95 wt.% MgAl2O4. It contacts NaBH4 in water at 30–50 °C for 0.5–10 minutes, and one claim specifies a hydrogen-generation rate of 1800–2200 mL/min per gram of catalyst. No electrical potential is applied in one embodiment. Synthesis mixes magnesium, aluminum, and cobalt salts with fuel, calcines at 600–800 °C for 2–4 hours, then mixes with urea and heats at 550–650 °C for 20–60 minutes.

Potential applications

Potential laboratory hydrogen generation from sodium borohydride.
Potential on-demand chemical-hydride reactor research.
Potential catalyst-reuse and reaction-kinetics studies.
Potential portable hydrogen-source development after safety validation.

Evidence-supported advantages

Generates hydrogen through aqueous NaBH4 hydrolysis.
Includes a no-applied-electrical-potential embodiment.
Defines g-C3N4, CoO, and MgAl2O4 weight ranges.
Specifies catalyst morphology, phases, and a synthesis route.

Development stage

Patent publication describing catalyst synthesis, characterization, and hydrogen-generation testing; independent validation and commercialization were not established.

Commercial opportunity

The catalyst may interest chemical-hydride and portable hydrogen-system developers. Commercial assessment should independently verify gas rate and yield, catalyst loading and reuse, cobalt and other leaching, heat and pressure control, NaBH4 storage and handling, borate by-product management, feedstock regeneration, hydrogen purity, reactor safety, scale-up, catalyst manufacture, lifecycle energy, and delivered-hydrogen cost.

Patent classifications

WIPO IPC

B01J27/24Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
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
B01J35/393Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/45Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J37/04Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J37/088Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
C01B3/065Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
Y02E60/36Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions related to energy generation, transmission or distribution

Inventors

First inventorMohamed Nady Abd El-Hameed Ibrahim
InventorMohamed Khairy Omran
InventorBabiker Yagoub Elhadi Abdulkhair

Keywords

hydrogen generation
sodium borohydride
hydrolysis
g-C3N4
CoO
MgAl2O4
nanocomposite catalyst
chemical hydride

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.