LAUSR

Abstract In this work, a series of chitin-supported Ru catalysts, composed of ultrasmall Ru nanoparticles supported on the chitin nanofibers, with different Ru content from 0.07 wt% to 0.93 wt%, are fabricated. Results from catalyzed NaBH4 hydrolysis experiments indicate that the catalytic activity of the fabricated chitin-supported Ru catalysts increases gradually with the decreasing of Ru content. The rate of hydrogen generation from NaBH4 hydrolysis catalyzed by the catalyst with 0.07 wt% Ru content is as high as 55.29 L min−1 g R u − 1 at 30 °C, and this reaction exhibits activation energy of 39.16 kJ/mol. The augment of NaBH4 dosage in the experiments does not weaken the catalytic activity. In addition, the fabricated chitin-supported Ru catalysts show excellent durability in NaBH4 hydrolysis, with only 9.2% activity loss after used for 20 cycles. With excellent catalytic activity and durability, the as-obtained Ru catalysts provide a promising choice for promoting hydrogen production from NaBH4 hydrolysis.