Fluorinated cobalt for catalyzing hydrogen generation from sodium borohydride

The present paper reports preliminary results relating to a search for durable cobalt-based catalyst intended to catalyze the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride (NaBH4). Fluorination of Co [Suda S, Sun YM, Liu BH, Zhou Y, Morimitsu S, Arai K, et al. Catalytic generation of hydrogen by applying fluorinated-metal hydrides as catalysts. Appl Phys A 2001; 72: 209–12.] has attracted our attention whereas the fluorination of Co boride has never been envisaged so far. Our first objective was to compare the reactivity of fluorinated Co with that of Co boride. We focused our attention on the formation of Co boride from fluorinated Co. Our second objective was to show the fluorination effect on the reactivity of Co. Our third objective was to find an efficient, durable Co catalyst. It was observed a limited stabilization of the Co surface by virtue of the fluorination, which made the formation of surface Co boride more difficult while the catalytic activity was unaltered. The fluorination did not affect the number of surface active sites. Nevertheless, it did not prevent the formation of Co boride. The fluorination of Co boride was inefficient. Hence, fluorination is a way to gain in stabilization of the catalytic surface but it is quite inefficient to hinder the boride formation. Accordingly, it did not permit to compare the reactivity of Co boride with that of Co.