Novel green synthesis of NiO–Co3O4–CuO composites as highly active catalyst for ammonia borane hydrolysis

Catalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane presents a promising pathway for hydrogen production. Herein, pyroligneous acid, a byproduct of biomass pyrolysis, was employed for the green synthesis of a NiO–Co 3 O 4 –CuO microparticle catalyst, and the catalytic performance for hydrogen evolution via ammonia borane hydrolysis was evaluated. The synergistic effects among CuO, NiO and Co 3 O 4 were found to significantly enhance catalytic activity. The porous structure of the catalyst facilitated the catalytic reaction. The optimized green-synthesized NiO–Co 3 O 4 –CuO catalyst demonstrated exceptional hydrogen production efficiency of 1153 mL⋅g −1 ⋅min −1 , validating the advantages of plant-derived extracts as both reducing and stabilizing agents in catalyst preparation. These findings provide critical insights for designing high-performance oxide catalysts for ammonia borane hydrolysis. With its cost-effectiveness and superior catalytic performance, the NiO–Co 3 O 4 –CuO catalyst emerges as a prime candidate for practical hydrogen production applications. Furthermore, this research highlights the substantial potential of environment friendly synthesis approaches in developing advanced energy conversion materials.