The initial hydrogen generation turnover rates during the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride over nickel catalysts (crystalline nickel (Ni), crystalline nickel boride (Ni3B), and amorphous nickel boron (Ni-B) nanoparticles) were measured to investigate the reaction kinetics and mechanisms by varying the reactant concentrations and reaction temperatures. Nickel catalysts with and without boron follow different hydrolysis pathways; hydroxide ions are involved in the activation of reactant molecules over Ni3B and Ni B catalysts. This study explicitly reports the zero-order and first-order reaction kinetics with respect to the reactant concentration over Ni, Ni3B and Ni B catalysts. The initial hydrogen generation turnover rates and activation energies determined from the experimental data indicate that the amorphous Ni-B nanoparticles exhibit the highest turnover rate and lowest activation energy for the hydrolysis of borohydride among the investigated catalysts. This study provides a general strategy for the development of borohydride hydrolysis catalysts via the modification of a metal catalyst using boron, which causes the crystalline structure to become amorphous and leads to electron-rich, highly undercoordinated metal atoms at the surface. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.