Mechanochemical synthesis of aluminium nanoparticles and their deuterium sorption properties to 2 kbar

Abstract

A mechanochemical synthesis process has been used to synthesise aluminium nanoparticles. The aluminium is synthesised via a solid state chemical reaction which is initiated inside a ball mill at room temperature between either lithium (Li) or sodium (Na) metal which act as reducing agents with unreduced aluminium chloride (AlCl 3). The reaction product formed consists of aluminium nanoparticles embedded within a by-product salt phase (LiCl or NaCl, respectively). The LiCl is washed with a suitable solvent resulting in aluminium (Al) nanoparticles which are not oxidised and are separated from the by-product phase. Synthesis and washing was confirmed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Nanoparticles were found to be ∼25–100 nm from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and an average size of 55 nm was determined from small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements. As synthesised Al/NaCl composites, washed Al nanoparticles, and purchased Al nanoparticles were deuterium (D 2) absorption tested up to 2 kbar at a variety of temperatures, with no absorption detected within system resolution.