Abstract
The interaction of hydrogen with solids and the mechanisms of hydride formation experience significant changes in nanomaterials due to a number of structural features. This review aims at illustrating the design principles that have recently inspired the development of new nanomaterials for hydrogen storage. After a general discussion about the influence of nanomaterials’ microstructure on their hydrogen sorption properties, several scientific cases and hot topics are illustrated surveying various classes of materials. These include bulk-like nanomaterials processed by mechanochemical routes, thin films and multilayers, nano-objects with composite architectures such as core–shell or composite nanoparticles, and nanoparticles on porous or graphene-like supports. Finally, selected examples of recent in situ studies of metal–hydride transformation mechanisms using microscopy and spectroscopy techniques are highlighted.
Highlights
Hydrogen (H) is recognized across the globe as the ultimate energy carrier with unrivalled potential for sustainable and efficient power applications [1,2]
The thermodynamics of H sorption and hydride formation/decomposition for the case of a simple metal M is illustrated by the pressure-composition isotherms (PCIs) in Figure 1, where the logarithm of the H2 pressure pH2 is plotted against xH, the H/M ratio in the solid phase
The authors concluded that Mg-In alloys with the presence of long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) exhibitaalower lower activation energy for desorption, leading to improved kinetics compared to the disordered state
Summary
Hydrogen (H) is recognized across the globe as the ultimate energy carrier with unrivalled potential for sustainable and efficient power applications [1,2]. The number of bulk-sized (i.e., >100 nm) directions defines their dimensionality, which is 0 for nanoparticles (NPs), nanodots, and clusters, 1 for nanowires and nanotubes, and 2 for thin films either as single layers or as stacked multilayers Whatever their dimensionality, nanomaterials possess a unique charm because they represent a transition walk from the molecular world to the thermodynamic limit, and constitute a family of materials for which surfaces, interfaces, and boundary effects cannot be neglected. Nanomaterials possess a unique charm because they represent a transition walk from the molecular world to the thermodynamic limit, and constitute a family of materials for which surfaces, interfaces, and boundary effects cannot be neglected Their nanosize is often comparable to or even smaller than an intrinsic length scale associate with a physical property, such as the electrons’ mean free path, leading to so-called confinement effects [18].
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