By Ashvin Kumar Narayana Swamy, The University of Texas at El Paso, Center for Space Exploration and Technology Research (CSETR)
The problem of hydrogen storage has been plaguing scientists for many years now owing to its low energy content by volume.1 Researchers from Stanford university and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have demonstrated that the addition of platinum nanoparticles to single-walled carbon nanotubes influences the uptake of hydrogen.2 They observed a spillover effect of hydrogen from the platinum nanoparticles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements were performed using the synchrotron beam radiation to understand this effect. Significant changes in the peak shape of carbon spectra were observed. The measurements indicate that hydrogen storage occurs by the process of dissociation of hydrogen from platinum nanoparticles, breaking of C–C bonds, and the formation of C–H covalent bonds. Thus, it was concluded that for increased hydrogen storage, a higher catalyst particle density and larger carbon nanotube surface area is desirable.
Schematic of spillover mechanism [2]
- DOE H2 program, Hydrogen Storage, Page 1.
- R. Bhowmick, S. Rajasekaran, D. Friebel, C. Beasley, L. Jiao, H. Ogasawara, H. Dai, B. Clemens, A. Nilsson, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 133 (14), 5580 (2011).
