Preparation and Catalytic Activity of a Novel Nanocrystalline ZrO2@C Composite for Hydrogen Storage in NaAlH4

Sodium alanate (NaAlH₄) has attracted intense interest as a prototypical high‐density hydrogen‐storage material. However, poor reversibility and slow kinetics limit its practical applications. Herein, a nanocrystalline ZrO₂@C catalyst was synthesized by using Uio‐66(Zr) as a precursor and furfuryl alcohol (FA) as a carbon source. The as‐synthesized ZrO₂@C exhibits good catalytic activity for the dehydrogenation and hydrogenation of NaAlH₄. The NaAlH₄‐7 wt % ZrO₂@C sample released hydrogen starting from 126 °C and reabsorbed it starting from 54 °C, and these temperatures are lower by 71 and 36 °C, respectively, relative to pristine NaAlH₄. At 160 °C, approximately 5.0 wt % of hydrogen was released from the NaAlH₄‐7 wt % ZrO₂@C sample within 250 min, and the dehydrogenation product reabsorbed approximately 4.9 wt % within 35 min at 140 °C and 100 bar of hydrogen. The catalytic function of the Zr‐based active species is believed to contribute to the significantly reduced operating temperatures and enhanced kinetics.     

Tailoring Thermodynamics and Kinetics for Hydrogen Storage in Complex Hydrides towards Applications

Solid‐state hydrogen storage using various materials is expected to provide the ultimate solution for safe and efficient on‐board storage. Complex hydrides have attracted increasing attention over the past two decades due to their high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen densities. In this account, we review studies from our lab on tailoring the thermodynamics and kinetics for hydrogen storage in complex hydrides, including metal alanates, borohydrides and amides. By changing the material composition and structure, developing feasible preparation methods, doping high‐performance catalysts, optimizing multifunctional additives, creating nanostructures and understanding the interaction mechanisms with hydrogen, the operating temperatures for hydrogen storage in metal amides, alanates and borohydrides are remarkably reduced. This temperature reduction is associated with enhanced reaction kinetics and improved reversibility. The examples discussed in this review are expected to provide new inspiration for the development of complex hydrides with high hydrogen capacity and appropriate thermodynamics and kinetics for hydrogen storage.

     

A First Principles Study of Hydrogen Storage in NaAlH4‐Related Complex Hydrides

We have applied first principles computations to predict the properties of complex hydrides related to the alanate NaAlH₄, a very promising class of systems for reversible hydrogen storage. The effect of partial substitution on the Na site (by Li or K), and on the Al site (by B or Ga) on the thermodynamic stability of NaAlH₄ and its decomposition product Na₃AlH₆ is investigated and evaluated by means of qualitative van't Hoff plots. From the calculated results we infer that the most promising improved hydrides are Na_1?xLi_xAl_1?yB_yH₄, obtained by a double substitution on the Na and on the Al sites of NaAlH₄.     

Chemical and Physical Solutions for Hydrogen Storage

Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier in future energy systems. However, storage of hydrogen is a substantial challenge, especially for applications in vehicles with fuel cells that use proton‐exchange membranes (PEMs). Different methods for hydrogen storage are discussed, including high‐pressure and cryogenic‐liquid storage, adsorptive storage on high‐surface‐area adsorbents, chemical storage in metal hydrides and complex hydrides, and storage in boranes. For the latter chemical solutions, reversible options and hydrolytic release of hydrogen with off‐board regeneration are both possible. Reforming of liquid hydrogen‐containing compounds is also a possible means of hydrogen generation. The advantages and disadvantages of the different systems are compared.     

Amminelithium Amidoborane Li(NH3)NH2BH3: A New Coordination Compound with Favorable Dehydrogenation Characteristics

The monoammoniate of lithium amidoborane, Li(NH₃)NH₂BH₃, was synthesized by treatment of LiNH₂BH₃ with ammonia at room temperature. This compound exists in the amorphous state at room temperature, but at ?20 °C crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbca with lattice parameters of a=9.711(4), b=8.7027(5), c=7.1999(1) Å, and V=608.51 ų. The thermal decomposition behavior of this compound under argon and under ammonia was investigated. Through a series of experiments we have demonstrated that Li(NH₃)NH₂BH₃ is able to absorb/desorb ammonia reversibly at room temperature. In the temperature range of 40–70 °C, this compound showed favorable dehydrogenation characteristics. Specifically, under ammonia this material was able to release 3.0 equiv hydrogen (11.18 wt %) rapidly at 60 °C, which represents a significant advantage over LiNH₂BH₃. It has been found that the formation of the coordination bond between ammonia and Li⁺ in LiNH₂BH₃ plays a crucial role in promoting the combination of hydridic B? H bonds and protic N? H bonds, leading to dehydrogenation at low temperature.     

High‐Pressure Raman and Calorimetry Studies of Vanadium(III) Alkyl Hydrides for Kubas‐Type Hydrogen Storage

Reversible hydrogen storage under ambient conditions has been identified as a major bottleneck in enabling a future hydrogen economy. Herein, we report an amorphous vanadium(III) alkyl hydride gel that binds hydrogen through the Kubas interaction. The material possesses a gravimetric adsorption capacity of 5.42 wt % H₂ at 120 bar and 298 K reversibly at saturation with no loss of capacity after ten cycles. This corresponds to a volumetric capacity of 75.4 kgH₂ m^?3. Raman experiments at 100 bar confirm that Kubas binding is involved in the adsorption mechanism. The material possesses an enthalpy of H₂ adsorption of +0.52 kJ mol^?1 H₂, as measured directly by calorimetry, and this is practical for use in a vehicles without a complex heat management system.     

孔性介质负载下的络合氢化物及其储氢特性*

络合氢化物具有较高的重量储氢密度,已成为国内外研究的热点。孔性介质由于高比表面积、孔径均匀可调以及良好热稳定性而备受关注。研究表明,实现孔性介质负载的络合氢化物可有效地改善其储氢性能。本文简述了孔性介质的结构特征和物化特性,着重阐述了孔性介质负载催化络合氢化物的制备方法、脱/加氢性能的影响及其催化机理的研究进展,并指出了需要研究的科学问题。     

Ti‐Substituted Boranes as Hydrogen Storage Materials: A Computational Quest for the Ideal Combination of Stable Electronic Structure and Optimal Hydrogen Uptake

Hydrogen storage : A family of Ti‐substituted boranes (see figure) having optimum electronic structures and the ability to absorb hydrogen has been designed computationally. Substantial binding energies and gravimetric densities of hydrogen storage show their potential as hydrogen storage materials. The computational study invites experimental synthesis of the novel borane family and offers a guide to searching for new hydrogen storage materials.

     

Strategies for the Improvement of the Hydrogen Storage Properties of Metal Hydride Materials

Metal hydrides are an important family of materials that can potentially be used for safe, efficient and reversible on‐board hydrogen storage. Light‐weight metal hydrides in particular have attracted intense interest due to their high hydrogen density. However, most of these hydrides have rather slow absorption kinetics, relatively high thermal stability, and/or problems with the reversibility of hydrogen absorption/desorption cycling. This paper discusses a number of different approaches for the improvement of the hydrogen storage properties of these materials, with emphasis on recent research on tuning the ionic mobility in mixed hydrides. This concept opens a promising pathway to accelerate hydrogenation kinetics, reduce the activation energy for hydrogen release, and minimize deleterious possible by‐products often associated with complex hydride systems.     

有序介孔碳CMK-3的化学活化及储氢性能

选用KOH、NaOH、H3PO4对有序介孔碳CMK-3进行了活化,通过X射线衍射、低温氮吸附-脱附等对样品进行了表征,发现活化后样品的结构发生了巨大的变化。有序介孔碳CMK-3的有序性逐渐降低,比表面积明显增大,2 nm介孔明显增多。讨论了CMK-3和KOH质量比、活化温度、不同活化剂对活化效果的影响。储氢测试表明活化能够明显提高CMK-3的储氢性能,77K、100 kPa时的储氢性能高达2.32wt%。     

Morphology-Dependent Stability of Complex Metal Hydrides and Their Intermediates Using First-Principles Calculations

Complex light metal hydrides are promising candidates for efficient, compact solid-state hydrogen storage. (De)hydrogenation of these materials often proceeds via multiple reaction intermediates, the energetics of which determine reversibility and kinetics. At the solid-state reaction front, molecular-level chemistry eventually drives the formation of bulk product phases. Therefore, a better understanding of realistic (de)hydrogenation behavior requires considering possible reaction products along all stages of morphological evolution, from molecular to bulk crystalline. Here, we use first-principles calculations to explore the interplay between intermediate morphology and reaction pathways. Employing representative complex metal hydride systems, we investigate the relative energetics of three distinct morphological stages that can be expressed by intermediates during solid-state reactions: i) dispersed molecules; ii) clustered molecular chains; and iii) condensed-phase crystals. Our results verify that the effective reaction energy landscape strongly depends on the morphological features and associated chemical environment, offering a possible explanation for observed discrepancies between X-ray diffraction and nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. Our theoretical understanding also provides physical and chemical insight into phase nucleation kinetics upon (de)hydrogenation of complex metal hydrides.     

Effects of Stoichiometry on the H2‐Storage Properties of Mg(NH2)2–LiH–LiBH4 Tri‐Component Systems

The hydrogen desorption pathways and storage properties of 2 Mg(NH₂)₂–3 LiH–x LiBH₄ samples (x =0, 1, 2, and 4) were investigated systematically by a combination of pressure composition isotherm (PCI), differential scanning calorimetric (DSC), and volumetric release methods. Experimental results showed that the desorption peak temperatures of 2 Mg(NH₂)₂–3 LiH–x LiBH₄ samples were approximately 10–15 °C lower than that of 2 Mg(NH₂)₂–3 LiH. The 2 Mg(NH₂)₂–3 LiH–4 LiBH₄ composite in particular began to release hydrogen at 90 °C, thereby exhibiting superior dehydrogenation performance. All of the LiBH₄‐doped samples could be fully dehydrogenated and re‐hydrogenated at a temperature of 143 °C. The high hydrogen pressure region (above 50 bar) of PCI curves for the LiBH₄‐doped samples rose as the amount of LiBH₄ increased. LiBH₄ changed the desorption pathway of the 2 Mg(NH₂)₂–3 LiH sample under a hydrogen pressure of 50 bar, thereby resulting in the formation of MgNH and molten [LiNH₂–2 LiBH₄]. That is different from the dehydrogenation pathway of 2 Mg(NH₂)₂–3 LiH sample without LiBH₄, which formed Li₂Mg₂N₃H₃ and LiNH₂, as reported previously. In addition, the results of DSC analyses showed that the doped samples exhibited two independent endothermic events, which might be related to two different desorption pathways.     

Density Functional Investigations of Electronic Structure and Dehydrogenation Reactions of Al‐ and Si‐Substituted Magnesium Hydride

The effect on the hydrogen storage attributes of magnesium hydride (MgH₂) of the substitution of Mg by varying fractions of Al and Si is investigated by an ab initio plane‐wave pseuodopotential method based on density functional theory. Three supercells, namely, 2×2×2, 3×1×1 and 5×1×1 are used for generating configurations with varying amounts (fractions x=0.0625, 0.1, and 0.167) of impurities. The analyses of band structure and density of states (DOS) show that, when a Mg atom is replaced by Al, the band gap vanishes as the extra electron occupies the conduction band minimum. In the case of Si‐substitution, additional states are generated within the band gap of pure MgH₂—significantly reducing the gap in the process. The reduced band gaps cause the Mg? H bond to become more susceptible to dissociation. For all the fractions, the calculated reaction energies for the stepwise removal of H₂ molecules from Al‐ and Si‐substituted MgH₂ are much lower than for H₂ removal from pure MgH₂. The reduced stability is also reflected in the comparatively smaller heats of formation (ΔH_f) of the substituted MgH₂ systems. Si causes greater destabilization of MgH₂ than Al for each x. For fractions x=0.167 of Al, x=0.1, 0.167 of Si (FCC) and x=0.0625, 0.1 of Si (diamond), ΔH_f is much less than that of MgH₂ substituted by a fraction x=0.2 of Ti (Y. Song, Z. X. Guo, R. Yang, Mat. Sc. & Eng. A 2004 , 365, 73). Hence, we suggest the use of Al or Si instead of Ti as an agent for decreasing the dehydrogenation reaction and energy, consequently, the dehydrogenation temperature of MgH₂, thereby improving its potential as a hydrogen storage material.     

Ti基准晶复相材料电极的电化学储氢性能

通过电弧熔炼和铜辊急冷技术分别制得Ti1.4V0.6Ni准晶材料和V5Ti9Zr26.2Ni38Cr3.5Co1.5Mn15.6Al0.4Sn0.8（VTZN）合金材料,再用球磨法得到Ti1.4V0.6Ni+20%(质量分数)VTZN的复相材料,研究了该复相材料的组织和电化学储氢特性。 结果表明,复相材料的相组成包括正二十面体准晶相（I-phase）、面心立方相（FCC）和体心立方相（BCC）。 复相材料作为镍氢电池负极,在303 K和放电电流密度为30 mA/g条件下,最大放电容量可达310 mA·h/g,放电性能优于Ti1.4V0.6Ni合金负极。     

3NaBH4/ErF3复合储氢材料的制备及吸放氢特性

采用高能球磨法制备了3NaBH4/ErF3复合储氢材料, 并研究了其相结构和储氢性能. X射线衍射(XRD)显示, NaBH4和ErF3在球磨过程中未发生反应; 同步热分析(TG-DSC)测试结果表明, 3NaBH4/ErF3体系在420℃开始放氢, 比相同测试条件下纯NaBH4的放氢温度降低了约100℃, 放氢量为3.06%(质量分数). 压力-成分-温度(Pressure-Composition-Temperature, PCT)性能测试结果显示, 3NaBH4/ErF3复合储氢材料在较低的温度(355~413℃)及平台氢压(<1 MPa)下即拥有良好的可逆吸放氢性能, 最高可逆吸氢量可达到2.78%(质量分数), 吸氢后体系重新生成了NaBH4相. 计算得吸氢焓变仅为-36.8 kJ/mol H2; 而放氢焓变为-180.8 kJ/mol H2. NaBH4在ErF3的作用下提高了热动力学性能, 并实现了可逆吸放氢.     

Hydrogen Storage Properties of Ca(BH4)2–LiNH2 System

Ca(BH₄)₂ is one of the promising candidates for hydrogen storage materials because of its high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen capacity. However, its high dehydrogenation temperature and limited reversibility has been a hurdle for its practical applications. In an effort to overcome these barriers and to adjust the thermal stability, we make a composite system Ca(BH₄)₂–LiNH₂. Interaction of Ca(BH₄)₂ and LiNH₂ leads to decreased dehydrogenation temperatures and increased hydrogen desorption capacity in comparison to pristine Ca(BH₄)₂. More than 7 wt % of hydrogen can be detached at a temperature as low as approximately 178 °C from the cobalt‐catalyzed Ca(BH₄)₂–4 LiNH₂ system.     

Exploring Orthogonal Hydrogen Bonding towards Designing Organic‐Salt‐Based Supramolecular Gelators: Synthesis,Structures, and Anticancer Properties

A series of primary ammonium monocarboxylate (PAM) salts derived from β‐alanine derivatives of pyrene and naphthalene acetic acid, along with the parent acids, were explored to probe the plausible role of orthogonal hydrogen bonding resulting from amide???amide and PAM synthons on gelation. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (SXRD) studies were performed on two parent acids and five PAM salts in the series. The data revealed that orthogonal hydrogen bonding played an important role in gelation. Structure–property correlation based on SXRD and powder X‐ray diffraction data also supported the working hypothesis upon which these gelators were designed. 3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and cell migration assay on a highly aggressive human breast cancer cell line, MDA‐MB‐231, revealed that one of the PAM salts in the series, namely, PAA.B2 , displayed anticancer properties, and internalization of the gelator salt in the same cell line was confirmed by cell imaging.