Low-crystalline CoCu–MgAl oxide nano sheet heterostructures immobilized by crab shell-derived phosphorus-doped carbon for hydrazine dehydrogenation

Background: : Hydrogen production and transportation can be made safe and efficient through hydrazine dehydrogenation heterogeneous catalysis. Methods: : The phosphate mediation synthesized CoCu@MgAl₂O₄ Nano sheets (0.89 nm in diameter) are anchored to crab shell-derived carbon (CSDC). Bimetallic CoCu²⁺ must be strongly absorbed and dispersed in the phosphate-modified CSDC to produce highly dispersed ultrafine NPs. The phosphate group successfully dispersed the ultrafine CoCu NPs with a size of 1.24 nm on MgAl₂O₄/(P)CSDC. The optimized Co_0.7Cu_0.3@MgAl₂O₄/(P)CSDC system has exceptional catalytic activity for hydrazine dehydrogenation, with a TOF value of 11,070 h⁻¹ at 298 K and 100% H₂ selectivity. Significant findings: : The introduction of the phosphate group favors the production of ultrafine and well-dispersed bimetallic CoCu NPs and also influences the electronic structure of metal catalytic sites. This implies that the prepared catalyst could improve the catalytic performance for catalyzing hydrazine dehydrogenation. This research might lead to an effective system for developing high-performance bimetallic Nano systems for future catalytic applications.