Efficient Production of Hydrogen from Decomposition of Formic Acid over Zeolite Incorporated Gold Nanoparticles

Formic acid has a great potential as a safe and convenient source of hydrogen for sustainable chemical synthesis and renewable energy storage. Here, we report a heterogeneous gold nanoparticles catalyst for efficient production of hydrogen from vapor phase decomposition of formic acid using zeolite incorporated gold nanoparticles. The catalyst is prepared by pressure assisted impregnation and reduction (PAIR), which results in a uniform distribution of small gold nanoparticles that are incorporated into zeolite silicalite-1 crystals. Consequently, the incorporated nanoparticles exhibit increased sintering stability. Based on these results, we believe that incorporation of metal nanoparticles in zeolites may find use as highly active and selective heterogeneous catalysts for the production of hydrogen in future renewable energy applications.