Hydrogen production by photocatalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane: a review

Efficient and effective production, transportation, and storage of hydrogen constitute the basis of the hydrogen economy. Ammonia borane, which is a reliable hydrogen storage material with high hydrogen capacity, is very attractive. Hydrogen releases from this material can be performed in two ways commonly; thermolysis and catalytic hydrolysis. The thermolysis of ammonia borane produces a notable amount of toxic gaseous by-products, and the thermal decomposition of it needs energy. However, the catalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane carries out moderate conditions. In recent years, studies have been carried out to increase efficiency in catalytic hydrolysis with the effect of light. In the photocatalytic hydrolysis of ammonia borane, high-efficiency hydrogen production takes place at room temperature and under UV by using a photocatalyst. In this review, the effects of photocatalysts used in the hydrolysis of ammonia borane in the literature in different environments (UV, daylight, indoor, and dark) and their photocatalytic hydrolysis mechanisms are given. According to experimental studies, it is thought that the photocatalytic hydrolysis studies of hydrogen storage materials in UV environments will increase exponentially soon.