Carbon-Nitride Vanadate Hydrogen Catalyst
Official patent title
Nanocomposite of graphitic C3N4, V2O5, and MgAl2O4 for hydrogen generation
Arabic title: مركب نانوي من C3N4 الغرافيتي وV2O5 وMgAl2O4 لتوليد الهيدروجين
Invention
Invention
Problem
Sodium borohydride hydrolysis requires an active catalyst to release hydrogen at a useful rate under moderate conditions. Practical use also depends on catalyst durability, recovery, and the lifecycle of the chemical hydrogen carrier.
Why it matters
Controlled hydrogen release could support research on portable or backup fuel-cell supplies where compressed-gas storage is undesirable, subject to safe handling and full-cycle economics.
Approach
The method contacts sodium borohydride and water with a g-C3N4/V2O5/MgAl2O4 nanocomposite in a 5–15:2–7:75–95 mass relationship at 10–80 °C.
Who may benefit
Potential beneficiaries include hydrogen-carrier researchers, catalyst developers, portable fuel-cell laboratories, backup-power integrators, and advanced-material manufacturers.
Potential value
The ternary catalyst combines a porous carbon-nitride/vanadium-oxide structure with a spinel-rich matrix and reports hydrogen-generation rates and a two- to ten-fold comparison against hydrolysis without the nanocomposite.
Background
Background
Sodium borohydride can release hydrogen through reaction with water, but the uncatalyzed rate may be too slow for controlled use. Heterogeneous nanocomposites provide interfaces that can accelerate hydrolysis and simplify catalyst separation. Carbon nitride, vanadium oxide, and magnesium aluminate offer different structural and chemical functions. Even with rapid release, system value depends on hydrogen purity, heat management, repeated catalyst performance, and regeneration of spent borate. The patent addresses the hydrogen-release step rather than a complete carrier lifecycle.
Technology overview
Technology overview
The catalyst contains g-C3N4, V2O5, and MgAl2O4 in the stated mass range. Reported material properties include 25–75 m²/g BET area, 1–10 nm average pore diameter, and 0.01–0.5 cm³/g pore volume. XRD and diffraction characterize spinel, MgO, Al2O3–V2O5, and carbon-nitride features. The abstract and summary state 2,000–5,000 mL/(min·g), while claim 1 states 2,500–5,000 mL/(min·g); claim 5 narrows the rate to 3,500–5,000 mL/(min·g) and states a two- to ten-fold comparison.
Potential applications
Potential applications
- On-demand hydrogen-generation research.
- Sodium-borohydride hydrolysis catalysis.
- Portable and backup fuel-cell supply studies.
- Ternary catalyst-material development.
Evidence-supported advantages
Evidence-supported advantages
- Operates across a claimed 10–80 °C range.
- Uses a heterogeneous ternary nanocomposite.
- Provides defined porosity and crystallographic ranges.
- Reports a two- to ten-fold rate comparison.
- Limits several extraneous phases and additives in the claims.
Development stage
Development stage
Laboratory material characterization and sodium-borohydride hydrolysis measurements are described; commercialization was not established. The development stage was not independently verified.
Commercial opportunity
Commercial opportunity
The catalyst may be evaluated for chemical hydrogen cartridges and small fuel-cell supplies. Commercial work requires repeated-cycle activity, catalyst recovery and vanadium leaching, hydrogen purity, safe borohydride handling, thermal and pressure control, scale-up economics, and lifecycle analysis of sodium-borohydride production and spent-borate regeneration.
Patent classifications
Patent classifications
WIPO IPC
- C01B3/065Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
- B01J21/00Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
CPC
- B01J21/005Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J21/10Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J23/22Chemical 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
- 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
- B01J35/643Chemical 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
- B82Y30/00Specific uses or applications of nanostructures; measurement or analysis of nanostructures; manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
- C01B3/065Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
- B01J2235/15Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- C01B2203/1041Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
- C01B2203/1205Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
- Y02E60/36Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions related to energy generation, transmission or distribution
Inventors
Inventors
- First inventorBabiker Yagoub Elhadi Abdulkhair
- InventorMohamed Khairy Omran
- InventorMohamed Nady Abd El-Hameed Ibrahim
Keywords
Keywords
- hydrogen generation
- sodium borohydride
- graphitic carbon nitride
- vanadium pentoxide
- magnesium aluminate
- hydrolysis catalyst
- 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.