High surface area microporous carbon materials for cryogenic hydrogen storage synthesized using new template-based and activation-based approaches.

High surface area microporous carbon materials were synthesized using new, simple, and innovative approaches based on traditional template and chemical activation methods. The resulting surface area and porosity were characterized using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET)-type measurements and analysis, and the hydrogen storage capacity was determined using excess hydrogen adsorption measurements at 77 K and up to 40 bar hydrogen pressure. For our direct one-step aerosol-assisted template-based synthesis method of mixing the template precursor and carbon precursor solutions, a specific surface area value of up to nearly 2000 m(2) g(-1) and an excess hydrogen storage capacity of 4.2 wt% was observed. For our chemical activation-based synthesis method of homogeneously mixing the chemical activation reagent into the carbon precursor solution, a specific surface area value of nearly 3000 m(2) g(-1) and an excess hydrogen adsorption capacity of nearly 5.8 wt% were observed. The surface area and hydrogen uptake results varied systematically with the synthesis parameters, and we observed a strong correlation between the BET values of the specific surface area and the excess hydrogen adsorption capacity.

Improved hydrogen release from LiB0.33N0.67H2.67 with noble metal additions.

The hydrogen release behavior of the quaternary hydride LiB(0.33)N(0.67)H(2.67) has been successfully improved through the incorporation of small quantities of noble metal. Adding 5 wt % Pd either as Pd metal particles or as PdCl(2) reduced the temperature T(1/2) corresponding to the midpoint of the hydrogen release reaction by DeltaT(1/2) = -43 degrees C and -76 degrees C, respectively. PtCl(2) and Pt nanoparticles supported on a Vulcan carbon substrate proved to be even more effective, with DeltaT(1/2) = -90 degrees C. The amount of NH(3) released during dehydrogenation is reduced compared to that from additive-free material, and, more importantly, at temperatures below 210 degrees C hydrogen is released with no detectable NH(3). In contrast to additive-free LiB(0.33)N(0.67)H(2.67), which melts completely above 190 degrees C and releases hydrogen from the liquid state only above approximately 250 degrees C, hydrogen release from LiB(0.33)N(0.67)H(2.67) + 5 wt % Pt/Vulcan carbon is accompanied by partial melting plus a cascade through a series of solid intermediate phases. Calorimetric measurements indicate that both additive-free and Pt-added LiB(0.33)N(0.67)H(2.67) release hydrogen exothermically, and hence the reverse reaction is thermodynamically unfavorable. By exposing partially dehydrogenated samples to high H(2) pressures at modest temperatures, fractional hydrogen uptake (roughly 15% of the released hydrogen) has been achieved. The mechanism by which noble metals promote hydrogen release is not known, but the behavior is consistent with that expected for a catalyst, including a large effect with small additions and saturation of the effect at low concentration.

Hydrogen release from mixtures of lithium borohydride and lithium amide: a phase diagram study.

We recently reported the synthesis of a new quaternary hydride in the lithium-boron-nitrogen-hydrogen quaternary phase diagram with the approximate composition LiB0.33N0.67H2.67 having a theoretical hydrogen content of 11.9 wt %. This new compound forms by the reaction of appropriate amounts of lithium amide (LiNH2) and lithium borohydride (LiBH4) and releases greater than 10 wt % hydrogen when heated. A small amount of ammonia, 2-3 mol % of the generated gas, is also released. We now report a study of hydrogen and ammonia release from the series of reactant mixtures (LiNH2)x(LiBH4)1-x, where x=0.667 corresponds to the composition LiB0.33N0.67H2.67. We measured hydrogen and ammonia release amounts as a function of composition and found that maximum hydrogen and minimum ammonia release do occur for x=0.667. We also present evidence for an additional new quaternary phase and for two possibly metastable phases in this system.

On the composition and crystal structure of the new quaternary hydride phase Li4BN3H10.

X-ray data on single crystals of the quaternary metal hydride near the composition LiB(0.33)N(0.67)H(2.67), previously identified as "Li3BN2H8", reveal that its true composition is Li4BN3H10. The structure has body-centered-cubic symmetry [space group I2(1)3, cell parameter a = 10.679(1)-10.672(1) Angstroms] and contains an ordered arrangement of BH4- and NH2- anions in the molar ratio 1:3. The borohydride anion has an almost ideal tetrahedral geometry (angleH-B-H approximately 108-114 degrees), while the amide anion has a nearly tetrahedral bond angle (angleH-N-H approximately 106 degrees). Three symmetry-independent Li atom sites are surrounded by BH4- and NH2- anions in various distorted tetrahedral configurations, one by two B and two N atoms, another by four N atoms, and the third by one B and three N atoms. The Li configuration around B is nearly tetrahedral, while that around N resembles a distorted saddlelike configuration, similar to those in LiBH4 and LiNH2, respectively.

Hydrogen desorption exceeding ten weight percent from the new quaternary hydride Li3BN2H8.

Mobile applications of hydrogen power have long demanded new solid hydride materials with large hydrogen storage capacities. We report synthesis of a new quaternary hydride having the approximate composition Li(3)BN(2)H(8) with 11.9 wt % theoretical hydrogen capacity. It forms by reacting LiNH(2) and LiBH(4) powders in a 2:1 molar ratio either by ball milling or by heating the mixed powders above 95 degrees C. This new quaternary hydride melts at approximately 190 degrees C and releases > or =10 wt % hydrogen above approximately 250 degrees C. A small amount of ammonia (2-3 mol % of the generated gas) is released simultaneously. Preliminary calorimetric measurements suggest that hydrogen release is exothermic and, hence, not easily reversible.