Processing and characterization of effective copper molybdate hydrogen evolution catalyst

The preparation and characterization of Cu1·7Mo0·3O4 and Cu1·4Mo0·6O4 nanostructures using the gelatin/sol-gel combustion method have been reported. The synthesized materials were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (cSEM), surface area analysis, and optical measurements. UV–Vis absorption spectra of the nanocomposites were analyzed to investigate the absorption and bandgap energy of the optical band gap. The Cu1·7Mo0·3O4 nanomaterial show cased a triclinic crystal structure system, while the Cu1·4Mo0·6O4 exhibited an orthorhombic system. The BET surface area analysis of the catalysts has values of 53 and 502 m2/g. The Cu1·7Mo0·3O4 sample proved to be the most active in generating hydrogen through NaBH4 methanolysis, displaying an impressive production rate of 23,063 mL/g. min. The findings indicate that the addition of Cu1·7Mo0·3O4 improves the catalytic activity of the methanolysis reaction involving sodium borohydride.