Malays. J. Anal. Sci. Volume 30 Number 4 (2026): 1850

Research Article

Trimetallic PdNiCo nanoparticles encapsulated in NH₂-BDC and UIO-66-NH₂ MOFs for efficient hydrogen production from formic acid

Noor Hayati Ridhwan¹, Najihah Syahbudin¹, Muhammad Shafie Norhisham¹, Norliza Dzakaria^1,2*, Nurul Auni Zainal Abidin¹, and Azizul Hakim Lahuri³

¹School of Applied Science and Environment, Faculty of Applied Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA(UiTM), Cawangan Negeri Sembilan, Kampus Kuala Pilah, 72000 Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

²Advanced Material for Environmental Remediation (AMER), Universiti Teknologi MARA(UiTM), Cawangan Negeri Sembilan, Kampus Kuala Pilah, 72000 Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

³Department of Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia Sarawak, Nyabau Road, P.O Box 396, 97008 Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia.

*Corresponding author: norliza864@uitm.edu.my

Received: 28 October 2025; Revised: 23 April 2026; Accepted: 10 May 2026; Published: 30 August 2026

Abstract

This study reports the synthesis and catalytic evaluation of trimetallic PdNiCo nanoparticles encapsulated within NH₂-BDC and UiO-66-NH₂ metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for hydrogen production via formic acid dehydrogenation. The catalysts, denoted as PdNiCo-NH₂BDC and PdNiCo-UiO-66-NH₂, were synthesized using solvothermal and post-synthetic impregnation methods. Structural characterization confirmed that PdNiCo-UiO-66-NH₂ exhibited a highly crystalline framework with significantly higher BET surface area (459.79 m² g⁻¹) than PdNiCo-NH₂BDC (14.66 m² g⁻¹). FESEM and TEM analyses revealed improved nanoparticle dispersion and smaller particle size within the UiO-66-NH₂ framework, contributing to enhanced active-site accessibility. Catalytic dehydrogenation experiments demonstrated that hydrogen evolution increased with increasing reaction temperature and formic acid concentration. Under optimum conditions (98 wt% FA, 70 °C), PdNiCo-UiO-66-NH₂ achieved the highest hydrogen production of 0.15334 mmol with no detectable CO formation, indicating high selectivity toward the dehydrogenation pathway. The best catalytic performance was attributed to the synergistic effects of the PdNiCo trimetallic system, high porosity, and strong metal-support interactions provided by the UiO-66-NH₂ framework. These findings highlight the potential of PdNiCo-UiO-66-NH₂ as an efficient catalyst for sustainable hydrogen generation from liquid organic hydrogen carriers.

Keywords: metal organic frameworks, UiO-66-NH₂, trimetallic, dehydrogenation

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