Hydrogen storage of beryllium adsorbed on graphene doping with boron: First-principles calculations

Based on density-functional theory, we find that B-doped graphene significantly enhances the Be adsorption energy and prevent Be atoms from clustering. The complex of Be adsorbed on B-doped graphene can serve as a high-capacity hydrogen storage medium: the hydrogen storage capacity (HSC) can reach up to 15.1 wt% with average adsorption energy ?0.298 eV/H₂ for double-sided adsorption. It has exceeded the target specified by US Department of Energy with HSC of 9 wt% and a binding energy of ?0.2 to ?0.6 eV/H₂ at near-ambient conditions. By analyzing the projected electronic density of states of the adsorbed system, we show that the high HSC is due to the change of electron distribution of H₂ molecules and a graphene system decorated with B and Be atoms.     

Hydrogen adsorption and storage of Ca-decorated graphene with topological defects: A first-principles study

As a candidate for hydrogen storage medium, geometric stability and hydrogen capacity of Ca-decorated graphene with topological defects are investigated using the first-principle based on density functional theory (DFT), specifically for the experimentally realizable single carbon vacancy (SV), 585 double carbon vacancy (585 DCV) and 555–777 double carbon vacancy (555–777 DCV) defects. It is found that Ca atom can be stabilized on above defective graphenes since Ca׳s binding energy on vacancy defect is much larger than its cohesive energy. Up to six H₂ molecules can stably bind to a Ca atom on defective graphene with the average adsorption energies of 0.17–0.39 eV/H₂. The hybridization of the Ca-3d orbitals with H₂-σorbitals and the electrostatic interaction between the Ca cation and the induced H₂ dipole both contribute to the H₂ molecules binding. Double-side Ca-decorated graphene with 585 DCV and 555–777 DCV defects can theoretically reach a gravimetric capacity of 5.2 wt% hydrogen, indicating that Ca-decorated defective graphene can be used as a promising material for high density hydrogen storage.     

Enhancement of H2 adsorption on a boron-doped carbon system for hydrogen storage

We study the adsorption of the molecular hydrogen on boron-doped polypyrrole ((–C₄BH₃)_n) using first-principles density functional calculations. We find that the binding energy of H₂ molecules is slightly reduced to 0.39 eV/H₂ from 0.51 eV/H₂ as the number of adsorbed H₂ molecules increases. This is in sharp contrast to the case of boron-doped fullerenes where the binding energy is drastically reduced as the number of adsorbed H₂ molecules increases. We find that the enhancement of H₂ adsorption is due to a local charge transfer by H₂ adsorption in the B-doped polypyrrole as opposed to a delocalized charge transfer in the B-doped fullerenes. Our finding shows that B-doped carbon systems could be utilized for room temperature hydrogen storage.     

Li and Na Co-decorated carbon nitride nanotubes as promising new hydrogen storage media

The capacity of Li and Na co-decorated carbon nitride nanotube (CNNT) for hydrogen storage is studied using first-principles density functional theory. The results show that with two H₂ molecules attached to per Li and four H₂ molecules per Na the Li and Na co-decorated CNNT gains a gravimetric density of H₂ as high as 9.09 wt% via electrostatic interaction without the clustering of the deposited metal atoms (at T=0 K). The average adsorption energy of hydrogen molecule is in the range of 0.09-0.22 eV/H₂, which is suitable for practical hydrogen storage at ambient temperatures.     

First-principles study of hydrogen adsorption on titanium-decorated single-layer and bilayer graphenes

The adsorption of hydrogen molecules on titanium-decorated （Ti-decorated） single-layer and bilayer graphenes is studied using density functional theory （DFT） with the relativistic effect. Both the local density approximation （LDA） and the generalized gradient approximation （GGA） are used for obtaining the region of the adsorption energy of H2 molecules on Ti-decorated graphene. We find that a graphene layer with titanium （Ti） atoms adsorbed on both sides can store hydrogen up to 9.51 wt% with average adsorption energy in a range from -0.170 eV to 0.518 eV. Based on the adsorption energy criterion, we find that chemisorption is predominant for H2 molecules when the concentration of H2 molecules absorbed is low while physisorption is predominant when the concentration is high. The computation results for the bilayer graphene decorated with Ti atoms show that the lower carbon layer makes no contribution to hydrogen adsorption.     

钇覆盖Si@Al12团簇的贮氢性能

利用密度泛函理论系统地研究了Y_mSi@Al₁₂ (m=1—3)团簇及其贮氢性质. 结果表明, 在所研究的尺度范围内, 钇原子未在Si@Al₁₂团簇上团聚; 每个钇原子按18电子规则吸附氢分子, 其中Y₃Si@Al₁₂团簇可以吸附16个完整氢分子, 贮氢质量分数为5.0 %, 平均吸附能处于0.324—0.527 eV之间, 较为理想的吸附能说明在室温条件下吸氢和脱氢是可行的.     

Li adsorption on a Fullerene–Single wall carbon nanotube hybrid system: Density functional theory approach

In this study, we investigate Li adsorption mechanisms on the C₆₀-SWCNT hybrid system using density functional theory. It is found that the Li adsorption energy of the C₆₀-SWCNT hybrid system is increased in comparison to that of the pure SWCNT. The Li adsorption energy ranges from −1.917 eV to −2.642 eV for the single-Li adsorbed system and from −2.351 eV to −2.636 eV for the double-Li adsorbed system. It is also found that the adsorption energy becomes similar at most positions throughout the structure. In addition, the Li adsorption energy of 31-Li system is calculated to be −1.863 eV, which is significantly lower than the Li–Li binding energy (−1.030 eV). These results infer that Li atoms will be adsorbed on the space 1) between C₆₀ and C₆₀; 2) between SWCNT and C₆₀; 3) the rest of the space (e.g. between SWCNTs), rather than form Li clusters. As more Li atoms are adsorbed onto the C₆₀-SWCNT hybrid system due to such improved Li adsorption capability, the metallic character of the system is enhanced, which is confirmed via the band structure and electronic density of states.     

Molecular hydrogen storage in Al-doped bulk graphite with wider layer distances

Molecular hydrogen storage at room temperature in Al-doped bulk graphite with wider layer distances was studied using density functional theory calculation. Hydrogen storage capacity of 3.48 wt% or volume density of 51 kg/m³ was predicted at T=300 K and P=0.1 GPa with adsorption energy E_b=?0.264 eV/H₂. This is close to the target of volume density 62 kg/m³ and satisfies the requirement of immobilization hydrogen with binding strength of 0.2–0.7 eV/H₂ at ambient temperature and modest pressure for commercial applications specified by the U.S. Department of Energy.     

H2O2 adsorption on the BN and SiC nanotubes: A DFT study

We have performed a comparative density functional theory study on adsorption of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) on the boron nitride and silicon carbide nanotubes (BNNT and SiCNT) in terms of energetic, geometric, and electronic properties. It has been found that the molecule is chemically adsorbed on both of the tubes so that its interaction with SiCNT (adsorption energy ∼−0.97 eV) is much stronger than that with BNNT (adsorption energy ∼−0.47 eV). The H₂O₂ adsorption on BNNT slightly decreases its work function, increasing the field electron emission from the BNNT surface while it may not affect that of the SiCNT. In addition, the adsorption process may increase the electrical conductivity of SiCNT while does not affect that of the BNNT, significantly. We believe that the SiCNT may be a potential candidate for detection of H₂O₂.     

H2S在Fe(100)面吸附的第一性原理研究

基于密度泛函理论第一性原理, 在广义梯度近似下, 研究了表面覆盖度为0.25 ML (monolayer)时硫化氢分子在Fe(100)面吸附的结构和电子性质, 并与单个硫原子吸附结果进行了对比. 结果表明: 硫化氢分子吸附在B2位吸附能最小为-1.23 eV, 最稳定, B1位吸附能最大为-0.01 eV, 最不稳定; 并对硫化氢分子在B1位和B2位吸附后的电子态密度进行了分析, 也表明了吸附在B2位稳定, 且吸附在B2位后硫化氢分子几何结构变化不大; 将硫化氢中硫原子吸附与单个硫原子吸附的电子性质进行了比较, 发现前者吸附作用非常微弱; 同时对吸附后的Fe(100)面进行了对比, 单个硫原子吸附的Fe(100)面电子态密度出现了一系列峰值且离散分布, 生成了硫化亚铁, 表明在硫化氢环境下, 主要是硫化氢析出的硫原子发生了吸附. 关键词： 第一性原理 Fe(100)表面 吸附能 硫化氢     

Hydrogen and deuterium adsorption on uranium decorated graphene nanosheets: A combined molecular dynamics and density functional theory study

In this study, the combined density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation methods were carried out to investigate the potential capability of uranium-decorated graphene (U–G) for the separation of deuterium from hydrogen gases. Graphene with hexagonal honeycomb lattice arrangement is suitable for adsorption of individual uranium atoms, with a high binding energy (?1.173 eV) and U-U distance longer than 7 Å. This U-G system has ability to hold up to six H₂ (5.16% wt) or seven D₂ (11.75% wt) molecules per U atoms. To gain further insights into these interactions, partial electronic density of states (PDOS) and the electron density distribution of the elements were analyzed. The MD results are in reasonable agreement with the results obtained by DFT method. Our calculated results indicate that at room temperature, D₂ molecule has higher affinity for U-G system than the H₂ molecule. In order to increase the D₂ separation factor from H₂, the effect of temperature was studied. The results indicated that adsorption ratio of D₂ to H₂ increases by decreasing the temperature.     

碱金属修饰的多孔石墨烯的储氢性能

基于第一性原理深入研究了碱金属原子(Li,Na,K)修饰的多孔石墨烯(PG)体系的储氢性能,并且通过从头算分子动力学模拟了温度对Li-PG吸附的H2分子稳定性的影响.研究结果表明,PG结构的碳环中心是碱金属原子最稳定的吸附位置,PG单胞最多可以吸附4个碱金属原子,Li原子被束缚最强,金属原子间无团聚的倾向;H2分子通过极化机制吸附在碱金属修饰的PG结构上,每个金属原子周围最多可以稳定地吸附3个H2分子;Li-PG对H2分子的吸附最强(平均吸附能为-0.246 eV/H2),Na-PG对H2分子的吸附较弱(平均吸附能为-0.129 eV/H2),K-PG对H2分子的吸附最弱(平均吸附能为-0.056 eV/H2),不适合用做储氢材料;在不考虑外界压强且温度为300 K的情况下,Li-PG结构可稳定地吸附9个H2分子,储氢量为9.25 wt.%;在400 K时,有7个吸附H2分子脱离Li-PG的束缚,在600-700 K的范围内,吸附H2分子全部脱离了Li-PG体系的束缚.     

Computational investigation of hydrogen storage on B5V3

Based on density functional theory method with 6-311+G(d,p) basis set, the structures, stability and hydrogen storage capacity of B₅V₃ have been theoretically investigated. It is found that a maximum of seven hydrogen molecules can be adsorbed on B₅V₃ with gravimetric uptake capacity of 6.39 wt%. The uptake capacity exceeds the target set by the US Department of Energy for vehicular application. Moreover, the average adsorption energy of B₅V₃ 01 (7H₂) is 0.60 eV/H₂ in the desirable range of reversible hydrogen storage. The kinetic stability of H₂ adsorbed on B₅V₃ 01 is confirmed by using gap between highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO). The gap value of B₅V₃ 01 (7H₂) is 2.81 eV, which indicates the compound with high stability. In addition, the thermochemistry calculation (Gibbs free energy corrected adsorption energy) is used to analyse if the adsorption is favourable or not at different temperatures. It can be found that the Gibbs corrected adsorption energy of B₅V₃ 01 (7H₂) is still positive at 400 K at 1 atm. It means that the adsorption of seven hydrogen molecules on B₅V₃ 01 is energetically favourable in a fairly wide temperature range. All the results show that B₅V₃ 01 can be considered as a promising material for hydrogen storage.     

Effects of Stone–Wales defect upon adsorption of formaldehyde on graphene sheet with or without Al dopant: A first principle study

The adsorption mechanisms of formaldehyde (H₂CO) on modified graphene, including aluminum doping, Stone–Wales (SW) defects, and a combination of these two, were investigated via density functional theory (DFT). It was found that the graphene with SW defect is more sensitive than that of perfect graphene for detecting H₂CO molecules. Compared with Al-doped graphene/H₂CO complex, the binding energy for Al-doped SW defect complex can be enhanced by the introduction of a SW defect. The large values of binding energy and net charge transfer for this complex indicate a strong chemisorption and a larger affinity with H₂CO for the modified graphene. Furthermore, the density of states (DOS) of the complex shows that the effect of defect–dopant combination on adsorption mechanisms is due to the orbital hybridization between the Al atom and its adjacent C atoms. In addition, it can be expected that adsorption of H₂CO on the surface of Al-doped SW defect may occur easily, and the Al-doped SW graphene is more suitable for H₂CO gas detection.     

Tuning the work function of graphene with the adsorbed organic molecules: first-principles calculations

We have investigated the energetics and work function (WF) of graphene (GR) with depositing pentacene (C₂₂H₁₄, PEN) and perfluorinated pentacene (C₂₂F₁₄, PFP) using the electronic structure calculations based on the density functional theory with van der Waals (vdW) corrections. Both molecules are adsorbed on GR in flat-laying form with the height of 3.2 Å through vdW interaction, and no explicit exchange of electrons was found between GR and adsorbed molecules. However, we found charge redistribution in the surface to interface region and this brings about the vacuum level shifts, Δ = ?0.06 eV for PEN and Δ = +0.10 eV for PFP, demonstrating that the work function of GR can be tuned by the physisorption of organic molecules.     

Transport properties of carbon atomic wire in the environment of H2O molecules: An ab initio study

The transport properties of carbon atomic wire in the environment of H₂O molecules are studied by the non-equilibrium Green function method based on density functional theory. In particular, the carbon wire with seven atoms sandwiched between the Al(1 0 0) electrodes is considered. It is found that the transport properties are sensitive to the variation of the number and the position of the H₂O molecule adsorbed on the carbon wire. To our surprise, with different positions of a single H₂O molecule on the carbon wire, the equilibrium conductance shows an evident odd–even oscillatory behavior. For example, the equilibrium conductance of the carbon wire becomes bigger when the H₂O is adsorbed on the odd-numbered carbon atoms; an opposite conclusion is obtained for the H₂O adsorbed on the even-numbered carbon atoms. For the cases of two H₂O molecules, the equilibrium conductance varies largely and the contribution of the third eigenchannel becomes larger in some special configurations. The calculated current–voltage curves show different behavior with the variation of the positions of the H₂O molecules. In certain cases, large negative differential resistance (NDR) is shown, while in other cases, it only slightly deviates from the linear behavior. The above behavior is analyzed via the charge transfer and the density of states (DOS) and reasonable explanations are presented.     

Selectively strong molecular adsorption on boron nitride monolayer induced by transition metal substrate

We studied adsorption of several molecules (CO, CO₂, H₂O, N₂O, NO, NO₂, and O₂) on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) monolayers supported on transition metal (TM) surfaces, using density functional calculations. We observed that all the molecules bind very weakly on the pristine h-BN, with binding energies in the range of 0.02–0.03 eV. Interestingly, however, when h-BN is supported on the TM surface, NO₂ and O₂ become strongly chemisorbed on h-BN, with binding energies of >1 eV, whereas other molecules still physisorbed, with binding energies of ～0.1 eV at most. The electron transfer from TM to p_z states of h-BN played a substantial role in such strong bindings of NO₂ and O₂ on h-BN, as these molecules possess unpaired electrons that can interact with p_z states of h-BN. Such selective molecular binding on h-BN/TM originates from the peculiar distribution of the spin-polarized highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals of NO₂ and O₂. Strong molecular adsorption and high selectivity would make the h-BN/TM system possible for a variety of applications such as catalysts and gas sensors.     

A photoelectron spectroscopic investigation of the interaction between H2O and oxygen on Ag(110)

The adsorption and reaction of H₂O with adsorbed oxygen atoms on Ag(110) was examined by UPS. In agreement with previous EELS results, H₂O formed multilayers of ice upon adsorption at 140 K. The ice layers could be easily distinguished from monolayer coverages of chemisorbed H₂O (present above 160 K) by UPS. The ice layers produced (1) strong attenuation of the emission from the Ag d-bands, (2) a nearly 2 eV shift of H₂O valence levels to higher binding energy and (3) strong attenuation of emission from the H₂O 3a₁ orbital. H₂O was observed to react stoichiometrically with O(a) above 250 K to produce a pure layer of adsorbed hydroxyl species. The UPS spectra for these species exhibited features at ?5.8 and ?8.7 eV, as well as strong features above the d-bands. These spectra were compared with those for OH(a) on other surfaces, and the difficulties of identifying OH by UPS due to contamination by excess H₂O are discussed.     

Adsorption of CO, CO2 and NO molecules on a BaTiO3 (0 0 1) surface

Since the development of Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM) technique, considerable attention has been devoted to various molecules adsorbed on various surfaces. Also, a new concept emerged with molecules on surfaces considered as nano machines by themselves. In this context, a thorough knowledge of surfaces and adsorbed molecules at an atomic scale are thus particularly invaluable. The present work describes the first Density Functional Theory (DFT) study of adsorption of CO, CO₂ and NO molecules on a BaTiO₃ surface following a first preliminary calculation of O and O₂ adsorption on the same surface. In the previously considered work, we found that a (0 0 1) surface with BaO termination is more stable than the one with TiO₂-termination. Consequently, we extended our study to CO, CO₂ and NO molecules adsorbed on a (0 0 1) surface with BaO termination. The present calculation was performed on a (1 × 1) cell with one monolayer of adsorbed molecules. Especially, a series of cases implying CO molecules adsorbed in various geometrical configurations has been examined. The corresponding adsorption energy varies in the range of −0.17 to −0.10 eV. The adsorption energy of a CO₂ molecule directly located above an O surface atom (called O_s) is of the order of −0.18 eV. The O-C distance length is then 1.24 Å and the O-C-O and O-C-O_s angles are 134.0° and 113.0°, respectively. For NO adsorption, the most important induced structural changes are the followings: (i) the N-O bond is broken when a NO molecule is absorbed on a Ba-O_s bridge site. In that case, N and O atoms are located above an O and a Ba surface atom, respectively, whereas the O-Ba-O_s and N-O_s-Ba angles are 106.5° and 63.0°, respectively. The N-O distance is as large as 2.58 Å and the adsorption energy is as much as −2.28 eV. (ii) In the second stable position, the NO molecule has its N atom adsorbed above an O_s atom, the N-O axis being tilted toward the Ba atom. The N-O_s-Ba angle is then 41.1° while the adsorption energy is only −0.10 eV. At last, the local densities of states around C, O as well as N atoms of the considered adsorbed molecules have also been discussed.     

Diamond-like C2H nanolayer, diamane: Simulation of the structure and properties

We consider a new C₂H nanostructure based on bilayer graphene transformed under the covalent bond of hydrogen atoms adsorbed on its external surface, as well as compounds of carbon atoms located opposite each other in neighboring layers. They constitute a “film” of the 〈111〉 diamond with a thickness of less than 1 nm, which is called diamane. The energy characteristics and electron spectra of diamane, graphene, and diamond are calculated using the density functional theory and are compared with each other. The effective Young’s moduli and destruction thresholds of diamane and graphene membranes are determined by the molecular dynamics method. It is shown that C₂H diamane is more stable than CH graphane, its dielectric “gap” is narrower than the band gap of bulk diamond (by 0.8 eV) and graphane (by 0.3 eV), and is harder and more brittle than the latter.