The
catalytic activity of the catalyst closely depends on its electronic
structure, but the relationship between electronic structure and the
catalytic activity in the ammonia borane (NH3BH3, AB) catalyzed hydrolysis reaction is still unclear. Here, we prepared
Co-based non-noble metal (Fe, Ni, Cu, and Zn) alloy nanoparticles
(NPs) and determined the electronic structure by a valence band spectrum
(VBS) obtained from X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) measurement
and theoretical calculations. The relationship of the d-band center
(εd) and activity exhibits volcano-shape behaviors.
The activity of CoCu alloys is superior to other metals, which is
due to the electronic structure affecting the adsorption and desorption
behavior of water in the hydrolysis reaction. The acid etching method
formed SCoCu with different Cu content, and the coexistence of surface
defects made the εd further regulated. These results
provide new insights into the relationship between the electronic
structure of the catalyst and its catalytic AB hydrolysis activity.