Ruthenium(0) nanoparticles supported on silica coated Fe3O4 as magnetically separable catalysts for hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane

Ruthenium(0) nanoparticles supported on bare or silica-coated magnetite are prepared by impregnation of ruthenium(III) ions followed by their reduction with aqueous solution of sodium borohydride on the surface of support. These magnetically isolable catalysts are used in hydrogen generation from the hydrolysis of ammonia borane at room temperature. They conserve their initial catalytic activity even after the fifth reuse in the hydrolysis reaction. Ruthenium(0) nanoparticles supported on bare magnetite and silica-coated magnetite provide turnover frequency values of 29 min^?1 and 127 min^?1 and in hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane at 25.0 ± 0.1 °C. Thus, coating of the surface of magnetite with silica results in a significant enhancement in catalytic activity of ruthenium(0) nanoparticles in hydrogen generation from the hydrolysis of ammonia borane.