High hydrogen-storage capacity of B-adsorbed graphene: First-principles calculation

Based on density functional calculations, boron-adsorbed graphene has  been found to be a kind of hydrogen-storage medium. B-adsorbed graphene has excellent hydrogen-storage capacity: when the B atoms are adsorbed on one side, the hydrogen-storage capacity is up to 10.10 wt% and when the adsorption is on both sides the capacity is up to 16.95 wt%. In each of these two cases, the hydrogen-storage capacity exceeds 6 wt%, surpassing the target of US Department of Energy (DOE). The calculated adsorption energy of H₂ molecules is ?0.209 eV/H₂ and ?0.208 eV/H₂ for single-side and both-sides B-adsorbed graphene, respectively, which is within the range ?0.2 to ?0.6 eV/H₂ and indicates that hydrogenous storage can be recycled in near ambient conditions. By analyzing the electron density distribution of the adsorbed system, we have found that the high hydrogen-storage capacity was due to the change of electron distribution of H₂ molecules and graphene by adsorbed B atoms.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

B、N掺杂对钠在石墨烯上吸附性能的影响

采用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理方法,研究了本征石墨烯及缺陷石墨烯对Na原子的吸附行为。主要研究了三种石墨烯：本征石墨烯、B掺杂的石墨烯和N掺杂的石墨烯。结果表明,与本征石墨烯相比,B掺杂的石墨烯和N掺杂的石墨烯在吸附能、电荷密度、态密度和储钠量方面表现出很大的差异。B掺杂的石墨烯对Na原子的吸附能是-1.93 eV,约为本征石墨烯对Na原子吸附能的2.7倍;与本征石墨烯相比,N掺杂的石墨烯对Na原子的吸附能明显增大。态密度计算结果表明,Na原子与B掺杂的石墨烯中的B原子发生轨道杂化,而本征石墨烯和N掺杂的石墨烯中不存在轨道杂化现象。B掺杂的石墨烯对Na原子的吸附量是3个,与本征石墨烯相比显著提高。因此,B掺杂的石墨烯有望成为一种新型的储钠材料。     

B、N掺杂对钠在石墨烯上吸附性能的影响

采用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理方法,研究了本征石墨烯及缺陷石墨烯对Na原子的吸附行为.主要研究了三种石墨烯:本征石墨烯、B掺杂的石墨烯和N掺杂的石墨烯.结果表明,与本征石墨烯相比,B掺杂的石墨烯和N掺杂的石墨烯在吸附能、电荷密度、态密度和储钠量方面表现出很大的差异.B掺杂的石墨烯对Na原子的吸附能是-1.93 e V,约为本征石墨烯对Na原子吸附能的2.7倍;与本征石墨烯相比,N掺杂的石墨烯对Na原子的吸附能明显增大.态密度计算结果表明,Na原子与B掺杂的石墨烯中的B原子发生轨道杂化,而本征石墨烯和N掺杂的石墨烯中不存在轨道杂化现象.B掺杂的石墨烯对Na原子的吸附量是3个,与本征石墨烯相比显著提高.因此,B掺杂的石墨烯有望成为一种新型的储钠材料.     

Na在B掺杂的空位石墨烯上吸附性能的第一性原理研究

采用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理方法,研究了本征石墨烯和B掺杂的空位石墨烯吸附Na原子的电荷密度、吸附能、态密度、储存量以及电极电压.结果表明,两种石墨烯中,Na原子的最佳吸附位置都是H位.B掺杂的空位石墨烯对Na原子的吸附能是-2.08 eV,比本征石墨烯对Na原子的吸附能(-0.71eV)低很多.B掺杂的空位石墨烯中Na原子与B原子发生轨道杂化,本征石墨烯中没有杂化现象.B掺杂的空位石墨烯能够吸附12个Na原子,较本征石墨烯多.因此,B掺杂的空位石墨烯更适合储钠.     

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.     

Interaction between nanobuds and hydrogen molecules: A first-principles study

Hydrogen storage materials are crucial for the wide application of hydrogen in fuel cells. In this Letter, the interaction between hydrogen molecules and nanobuds has been studied using the Dmol3 package. The results show that the adsorption energies of hydrogen molecules onto nanobuds range from 0.069 eV to 0.115 eV, and that the adsorption energies are not sensitive to the nanobuds' structures but closely related to the number of carbon atoms around H₂ molecules. The energy barrier of a hydrogen molecule entering C176 is 2.38 eV. Each C176 nanobud can accommodate four H₂ molecules. The stress existing in nanobuds induces alterative charge distribution, which can improve the hydrogen storage performance of nanobuds to a certain extent.     

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.     

Theoretical characterization of axial deformation effects on hydrogen storage of Ti decorated armchair (5,5) SWCNT

Theoretical calculations have been performed in the framework of density functional theory to characterize the effect of axial deformation on hydrogen storage of Ti decorated armchair (5,5) SWCNT. The theoretical characterization has been carried out in terms of H₂ adsorption energies that are lying in the desirable energy window (?0.2 to ?0.6?eV) recommended by DOE, as well as a variety of physicochemical properties. A remarkable and significant change in H₂ adsorption energy is observed under the effect of only (1%) axial strain. Axial relaxation leads to H₂ adsorption energies within the recommended energy range for hydrogen storage, in contrast to axial compression. Simultaneous weakening of π and σ interactions, due to the effect of axial relaxation and loss of spatial orbital overlap, is in favor of hydrogen adsorption in the recommended energy range, and dominates the effect of charge transfer from Ti 3d to C 2p of the SWCNT. The calculated pairwise and non pairwise additive components confirm that the role of the SWCNT is not restricted to supporting the metal. Polarizability and hperpolarizabilty calculations as well as spectral analysis characterize the relaxed structure (Z?=?1.02), for which H₂ adsorption energy (?0.34?eV) is in the recommended energy range for hydrogen storage, to be energetically more preferable than the compressed structure (Z?=?0.99). The results offer a way to control and characterize the hydrogenation process of metal functionalized SWCNTs by strain loading.     

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     

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.     

First principles computational investigation on the possibility of Pt-decorated SiC hexagonal sheet as a suitable material for oxygen reduction reaction

First principles calculations play a significant role in developing and optimizing new energy storage and conversion materials especially at the nanoscale. In this work, the structural, energetics and, electronic properties of adsorbed Pt atom onto two-dimensional graphene, hexagonal BN (h-BN) and SiC (h-SiC) sheets have been investigated at DFT–B3LYP level of theory using coronene molecule as a suitable model. Spin-polarization and model size effects on the Pt adsorption properties have also been evaluated. Various positions for establishing Pt atom on the selected substrates have been considered and full structural optimization was carried out for all selected systems. The adsorption energies, electronic structures and charge population analysis indicated that in all the studied structures there were strong interaction between two interacting entities. It was also found that the adsorption ability of h-SiC is much stronger than the other counterparts with adsorption energy of −3.828 eV.We have also examined the O₂ adsorption properties of Pt-decorated graphene, h-BN and h-SiC sheets for possible tunability of O₂ adsorption strength of systems under study. We found that h-SiC sheet possess a weakened O₂ adsorption energy among the selected substrates. In view of the strong stability of adsorbed Pt atom on h-SiC sheet and relatively weaker O₂ adsorption energy, one can expect that h-SiC might be a promising material for support assistant as well as increasing the catalytic activity of Pt atoms compared to graphene and h-BN substrates. This may attribute to preventing aggregating of Pt atoms due to the strong fastening nature of the h-SiC sheet and also by affording a balance in the O₂ adsorption strength that lead to enhanced catalyst turnover. Therefore, our first principles findings offer a unique opportunity for design and applications of SiC-based nanoscale supports in fuel cell technology.     

Theoretical characterisation of irreversible and reversible hydrogen storage reactions on Ni-doped C60 fullerene

An attempt has been made to characterise the irreversible and reversible hydrogen storage reactions on Ni-doped C₆₀ fullerene by using the state of the art density functional theory calculations. The single Ni atom prefers to bind at the bridge site between two hexagonal rings of C₆₀ fullerene, and can bind up to four hydrogen molecules with average adsorption energies of ?0.85, ?0.83, ?0.58, and ?0.31 eV per hydrogen molecule. No evidence for metal clustering in the ideal circumstances and the hydrogen storage capacity is expected to be as large as 8.9 wt%. While the desorption activation barriers of the complexes nH₂NiC₆₀ (n = 1, 2) are outside the desirable energy window recommended by the department of energy for practical applications (–0.2 to –0.6 eV), the desorption activation barriers of the complexes nH₂NiC₆₀ (n = 3, 4) are inside this window. The irreversible 2H₂ + NiC₆₀ and reversible 3H₂ + NiC₆₀ interactions are characterised in terms of several theoretical parameters such as: (1) densities of states and projected densities of states, (2) pairwise and non-pairwise additivity, (3) infrared, Raman, and proton magnetic resonance spectra, (4) electrophilicity, and (5) statistical thermodynamic stability.     

Metal-decorated defective BN nanosheets as hydrogen storage materials

Density functional theory computations were performed to investigate hydrogen adsorption in metaldecorated defective BN nanosheets. The binding energies of Ca and Sc on pristine BN nanosheets are much lower than the corresponding cohesive energies of the bulk metals; however, B vacancies in BN nanosheets enhance the binding of Ca and Sc atoms dramatically and avoid the clustering of the metal atoms on the surface of BN nanosheets. Ca and Sc strongly bind to defective BN nanosheets due to charge transfer between metal atoms and BN nanosheets. Sc-decorated BN nanosheets with B vacancies demonstrate promising hydrogen adsorption performances with a hydrogen adsorption energy of ?0.19～ ?0.35 eV/H₂.