Magnesium-doped Cobalt ferrites (Mg1-xCoxFe2O4) as high-performance catalysts for Hydrogen generation via NaBH₄ methanolysis

This study explores the use of magnesium-doped cobalt nanoferrites, Mg_1-xCo_xFe₂O₄ (denoted as MgCoN, with x = 1, 0.75, 0.625, 0.375, 0.25, and 0), synthesized via the sol-gel auto-combustion method for hydrogen production through the methanolysis of sodium borohydride. The crystal structures were characterized using various techniques:XRD, SEM), EDS, VSM, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy. The effect of various parameters including the molar ratios of Mg and Co in the MgCoN catalysts, amounts of methanol, NaBH₄ and catalyst, and the temperature on the initial hydrogen generation rate (HGR) were investigated. The findings indicate that the Mg_0.25Co_0.75Fe₂O₄ catalyst exhibits remarkable efficiency, achieving an HGR of 56,695.2ml/min·g_cₐₜ with a notably low activation energy of 13.67kJ/mol. These results highlight the potential of Mg_0.25Co_0.75Fe₂O₄ for large-scale hydrogen production applications. The structural and magnetic properties of the MgCoN were shown to significantly enhance catalytic efficiency, facilitating more effective interactions between reactants and catalytic sites during the methanolysis reaction.