Controllable H₂ Generation by Formic Acid Decomposition on a Novel Pd/Templated Carbon Catalyst

A novel Pd/templated carbon catalyst (Pd/TC) was developed, characterized, and tested in the dehydrogenation of formic acid (FA) under mild conditions, with the possibility to control the H₂ generation rate, in the absence or presence of HCOONa (SF), by adjusting the Pd:FA and/or FA:SF ratios. The characterization results of the templated carbon obtained by the chemical vapor deposition of acetylene on NaY zeolite revealed different structural and morphological properties compared to other C-based supports. Therefore, it was expected to induce a different catalytic behavior for the Pd/TC catalyst. Indeed, the TC-supported Pd catalyst exhibited superior activity in the decomposition of FA, even at room temperature, with turnover frequencies (TOFs) of up to 143.7 and 218.8 h⁻¹ at 60 °C. The H2 generation rate increased with an increasing temperature, while the H₂ yield increased with a decreasing FA concentration. Constant generation of gaseous flow (H₂ + CO₂) was achieved for 11 days, by the complete dehydrogenation of FA at room temperature using a 2 M FA solution and Pd:FA = 1:2100. The presence of SF in the reaction medium significantly enhanced the H₂ generation rate (535 h⁻¹ for FA:SF = 3:1 and 60 °C).