Solid-state hydrogen generation from NaBH4 using mannitol as a bi-functional additive

Abstract

NaBH4 has been considered as one of the ideal hydrogen carriers with comparatively high hydrogen capacities towards traditional hydrogen storage materials. However, the hydrogen generation from NaBH4 needs excess water and costly catalysts to achieve a complete and fast hydrogen release. Herein, we report an innovative strategy to use solid-state multi-hydroxyl mannitol as a reactant towards NaBH4, which brings fast and controllable hydrogen release below 80 °C. More than 4.1 wt% H2 (83% of the theoretical capacity) could be released totally from the NaBH4-mannitol composite with high purity. Structural and morphological studies further reveal that mannitol acts as a bi-functional additive to react with NaBH4 during hydrogen release and protect NaBH4 from moisture during storage. This work shows potential in developing all-solid-state hydrogen production systems with high-capacity borohydrides.