Hydrogen Boride Sheets and Copper Nanoparticle Composites as a Visible‐Light‐Sensitive Hydrogen Release System
Andi Mauliana, Akira Yamaguchi, Takahiro Kondo, Masahiro Miyauchi
Abstract
Abstract Hydrogen boride (HB) sheet is a new class of 2D materials comprising hydrogen and boron, synthesized through ion‐exchange and exfoliation techniques. HB sheets can release hydrogen (H 2 ) under light irradiation and is predicted to be a promising H 2 storage material. However, its application is limited to the UV region. One approach to enable a visible‐light‐driven system is the utilization of plasmonic metallic nanoparticles. The present study reports H 2 release from copper (Cu) nanoparticle‐modified HB sheet (HB/Cu) under visible‐light irradiation. Copper nanoparticles possess unique and strong plasmonic responses in the visible‐light range, making them ideal light absorbers in this system. HB/Cu nanocomposites are synthesized using a simple mixture of copper acetate and HB sheets in acetonitrile, where HB sheets reduced copper ions to metal copper nanoparticles. The photoirradiation results shows that HB/Cu nanocomposites released more H 2 than the bare HB sheets under visible‐light irradiation. This is probably due to the plasmonic photothermal effect of copper metal, which enhances H 2 generation from the HB sheets. This material offers a viable and cost‐effective approach for developing visible‐light‐sensitive systems.