Researchers at NIST and Bilkent University have developed a new method for storing hydrogen in carbon nanotubes decorated with titanium or other transition metals. Their quantum calculations show that these metal-decorated nanotubes can store hydrogen at levels exceeding the 6% target set by the FreedomCar Research Partnership, making them a promising candidate for efficient hydrogen storage in fuel cells.
The key to this breakthrough lies in the unique geometric arrangement of the carbon atoms in the nanotubes, which allows for the formation of a new type of chemical bond between the metal and hydrogen molecules. This bond is strong enough to hold the hydrogen molecules in place but weak enough to release them when heated, making the storage process both efficient and reversible.
The researchers believe that this discovery could lead to the development of new nanostructures for high-capacity hydrogen storage and catalyst materials. The work was funded by the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation and published in Physical Review Letters.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2005/05/metal-decorated-nanotubes-hold-promise-fuel-cells
Keywords: hydrogen, storage, nanotubes, titanium
