Magnetic nickel-ruthenium based catalysts on resin beads for hydrogen generation from alkaline NaBH(4) solutions were synthesized with combined methods of chemical reduction and electroless deposition. Factors, such as solution temperature, NaBH(4) loadings, and NaOH concentration, on performance of these catalysts on hydrogen production from alkaline NaBH(4) solutions were investigated. Furthermore, characteristics of these nickel-ruthenium based catalysts were carried out by using various instruments, such as SEM/EDS, XPS, SQUID VSM and BET. These catalysts can be easily recycled from spent NaBH(4) solution with permanent magnets owing to their intrinsic soft ferromagnetism and, therefore, reducing the operation cost of the hydrogen generation process. A rate of hydrogen evolution as high as ca. 400 mL min(-1) g(-1) could be reached at 35 degrees C in 10 wt% NaBH(4) solution containing 5 wt% NaOH using Ni-Ru/50WX8 catalysts. Activation energy of hydrogen generation using such catalysts is estimated at 52.73 kJ mol(-1). (C) 2008 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.