Simulation of hydrogen adsorption in carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Computer simulations are reported of hydrogen adsorption in multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The gas-solid interaction was modelled both as pure dispersion forces and also with a hypothetical model for chemisorption introduced in a previous paper (CRACKNELL, R., F., 2001, Phys. Chem. chem. Phys., 3, 2091). A two-centre model for hydrogen was employed and the grand canonical Monte Carlo methodology was used throughout. Uptake of hydrogen in the internal space of a carbon nanotube is predicted to be lower than in the optimal graphitic nanofibre with slitlike pores (provided the gas-solid potential is consistent). Part of the difference arises from the assumption of pore surface area used in converting the raw simulation data to gravimetric adsorption; however, the majority of the differences can be attributed to the curvature of the pore. This reduces the uptake of hydrogen (on a gravimetric basis) in spite of deepening the potential minimum inside the pore associated with dispersion forces. It is concluded that for the uptake of hydrogen in SWNTs of 5–10% reported by Heben (DILLON, A. C., JONES, K. M., BEKKEDAHL, T. A., KIANG, C. H., BETHUNE, D. S., AND HEBEN, M. J., 1997, Nature, 386, 377), gas-solid forces other than dispersion forces are required and most of the adsorption must occur in the interstices between SWNTs.