Nanostructuring of Mg-Based Hydrogen Storage Materials:Recent Advances for Promoting Key Applications

With the depletion of fossil fuels and global warming,there is an urgent demand to seek green,low-cost,and high-efficiency energy resources.Hydrogen has been considered as a potential candidate to replace fossil fuels,due to its high gravimetric energy density(142 MJ kg^(-1)),high abundance(H_(2)O),and environmentalfriendliness.However,due to its low volume density,effective and safe hydrogen storage techniques are now becoming the bottleneck for the"hydrogen economy".Under such a circumstance,Mg-based hydrogen storage materials garnered tremendous interests due to their high hydrogen storage capacity(~7.6 wt%for MgH_(2)),low cost,and excellent reversibility.However,the high thermodynamic stability(ΔH=-74.7 kJ mol^(-1)H_(2))and sluggish kinetics result in a relatively high desorption temperature(>300℃),which severely restricts widespread applications of MgH_(2).Nano-structuring has been proven to be an effective strategy that can simultaneously enhance the ab/de-sorption thermodynamic and kinetic properties of MgH_(2),possibly meeting the demand for rapid hydrogen desorption,economic viability,and effective thermal management in practical applications.Herein,the fundamental theories,recent advances,and practical applications of the nanostructured Mg-based hydrogen storage materials are discussed.The synthetic strategies are classified into four categories:free-standing nano-sized Mg/MgH_(2)through electrochemical/vapor-transport/ultrasonic methods,nanostructured Mg-based composites via mechanical milling methods,construction of core-shell nano-structured Mg-based composites by chemical reduction approaches,and multi-dimensional nano-sized Mg-based heterostructure by nanoconfinement strategy.Through applying these strategies,near room temperature ab/de-sorption(<100℃)with considerable high capacity(>6 wt%)has been achieved in nano Mg/MgH_(2)systems.Some perspectives on the future research and development of nanostructured hydrogen storage materials are also provided.

Study on Nanocrystalline Rare Earth Mg-Based System Hydrogen Storage Alloys with AB_3-Type

A sort of rare earth Mg-based system hydrogen storage alloys with AB3-type was prepared by double-roller rapid quenching method. The alloys were nanocrystalline multi-phase structures composed of LaNi3 phase and LaNi5 phase by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses, and the suitable absorption/desorption plateau was revealed by the measurement of P-C-I curve. Electrochemical studies indicate that the alloys exhibit good electrochemical properties such as high capacity and stable cycle life, and the discharge capacity is 369 mAh·g-1 at 0.2 C (72 mA·g-1). after 460 cycles, the capacity decay was only 19.4% at 2 C (720 mA·g-1).

Development of Mg-based Hydrogen Storage Alloy

Mg-based hydrogen storage alloys are considered as a promising candidate for hydrogen system because of its lightweight, high storage capacity, low price and rich mineral resources. In detail, we reviewed the preparation and properties of Mg-Ni-based hydrogen storage alloys. All kinds of attempts have been done to improve the hydriding and dehydriding behaviors. It is found that the partial substitution of foreign elements can decrease the hydrogen absorption temperature, especially the substitution of a more electronegative element, such as AI and Mn. Mechanical alloying (MA) and mechanical grinding (MG) are the most effective methods to improve the hydriding/dehydriding kinetics and electrochemical capacity, and decrease the desorption temperature. but the corrosion resistance is so poor that the 80% of maximum capacity is lost within ten cycles. Microencapsulation is a useful measurement for improving the corrosion resistance and electrocatalytic activity. fn order to improve the properties of the alloys for practical application, the alloys should have a large number of defects, which give activated sites, subsequently, MA, MG and electroless plating should be used to improve the hydriding/dehydriding kinetics and protect the surface of alloys, respectively. The new composite Mg-based alloys give a new way for the hydrogen storage material to practical application. Furthermore we put forward several problems which will be discussed in future.

Effect of Heat-Treatment Process on Properties of Rare Earth Mg-Based System Hydrogen Storage Alloys with AB_3-Type

The effect of heat-treatment process on the properties of Mm0.8Mg0.2(NiCoAlMn)3.5 hydrogen storage alloy was discussed . The electrochemical properties such as cycling stability, activation property, and the plateau voltage of the alloy which was heat-treated in various temperatures and times had different changes during the cycle process, the optimum heat-treatment conditions of this alloy were determined by this work.

An overview of progress in Mg-based hydrogen storage films

Mg-based hydrogen storage materials are considered to be one of the most promising solid-state hydrogen storage materials due to their large hydrogen storage capacity and low cost. However, slow hydrogen absorption/desorption rate and excessive hydrogen absorption/desorption temperature limit the application of Mg-based hydrogen storage materials.The present paper reviews the advances in the research of Mg-based hydrogen storage film in recent years, including the advantage of the film, the function theory of fabricating method and its functional theory, and the influencing factors in the technological process. The research status worldwide is introduced in detail. By comparing pure Mg, Pd-caped Mg, nonpalladium capped Mg, and Mg alloy hydrogen storage films, an ideal tendency for producing Mg-based film is pointed out,for example, looking for a cheap metal element to replace the high-priced Pd, compositing Mg film with other hydrogen storage alloy of catalytic elements, and so on.

Effects of carbon nanotubes on hydrogen storage property of Mg-based nanocomposites

Mg-based hydrogen storage nanocomposites added with carbon nanotubes(CNTs) were prepared by mechanical milling under the atmosphere of hydrogen. The results show that because of their own excellent heat conductivity and good hydrogen storage ability, the carbon nanotubes improve the mass transfer and heat transfer properties of the Mg-based nanocomponents, thus enhancing the kinetic property of hydrogen absorption and desorption of the hydrogen storage nanocomposites, and raising the hydrogen storage capacity. Due to the addition of the carbon nanotubes, the milling stress in the process of preparing the Mg-based nanocomposites is reduced, the components can be closely bonded easily, and the additives can play better catalytic roles.

Shell and shrinking core kinetics model of Mg-based hydrogen storage alloys

The kinetics equation of the Mg-based hydrogen storage alloys (Mg-Ni-MO) was established by the shell and shrinking core model. The total coefficients of the kinetics equation of the hydrogen absorption and desorption process with shell diffusion as the controlling step were determined by semi-empirical and semi-theoretical methods, and the apparent activation energy of the hydrogen absorption process was obtained. The calculation results can well accord with the experimental data, and can well forecast the hydrogen storage capacity and absorption rate at different times. By using the kinetics equation, the effects of temperature and pressure on the hydrogen storage process can also be well understood. The kinetics equation is helpful for the design of the hydrogen storage container.

Mg AmorphousZr_(0.9)Ti_(0.1)(Ni_(0.57)Mn_(0.28)V_(0.1)Co_(0.05))_(2.1)Composite for Hydrogen Storage

The reactive mechanical alloying (RMA) method was used to produce Mg-40 wt pet amorphous Zr0.9Ti0.1(Nio.57-Mn0.28\/o.iCoo.o5)2.i composite in this study, and the absorption/desorption property of the composite was improved remarkably. The composite possessed excellent kinetic properties even at moderate temperature (393 K) without activation. Owing to the formation of the embrittle MgH2, the reactive mechanical milling process reduced the particle size of Mg and made the composite phase being highly efficiently distributed, which determined the excellent hydriding properties of the composite.

Effect of melt spinning on gaseous hydrogen storage characteristics of nanocrystalline and amorphous Nd-added Mg_2Ni-type alloys

Nanocrystalline and amorphous Mg-Nd-Ni-Cu quaternary alloys with a composition of(Mg_(24)Ni_(10)Cu_2)_(100-x)Nd_x(x=0, 5, 10, 15, 20) were prepared by melt spinning technology and their structures as well as gaseous hydrogen storage characteristics were investigated. The XRD, TEM and SEM linked with EDS detections reveal that the as-spun Nd-free alloy holds an entire nanocrystalline structure but a nanocrystalline and amorphous structure for the as-spun Nd-added alloy, implying that the addition of Nd facilitates the glass forming in the Mg_2Ni-type alloy. Furthermore, the degree of amorphization of the as-spun Nd-added alloy and thermal stability of the amorphous structure clearly increase with the spinning rate rising. The melt spinning ameliorates the hydriding and dehydriding kinetics of the alloys dramatically. Specially, the rising of the spinning rate from 0(the as-cast was defined as the spinning rate of 0 m/s) to 40 m/s brings on the hydrogen absorption saturation ratio(R_5~a)(a ratio of the hydrogen absorption quantity in 5 min to the saturated hydrogen absorption capacity) increasing from 36.9% to 91.5% and the hydrogen desorption ratio(R_(1 0)~d)(a ratio of the hydrogen desorption quantity in 10 min to the saturated hydrogen absorption capacity) rising from 16.4% to 47.7% for the(x=10) alloy, respectively.

In situ formation of multiple catalysts for enhancing the hydrogen storage of MgH_(2) by adding porous Ni_(3)ZnC_(0.7)/Ni loaded carbon nanotubes microspheres

MgH_(2) is considered one of the most promising hydrogen storage materials because of its safety,high efficiency,high hydrogen storage quantity and low cost characteristics.But some shortcomings are still existed:high operating temperature and poor hydrogen absorption dynamics,which limit its application.Porous Ni_(3)ZnC_(0.7)/Ni loaded carbon nanotubes microspheres(NZC/Ni@CNT)is prepared by facile filtration and calcination method.Then the different amount of NZC/Ni@CNT(2.5,5.0 and 7.5 wt%)is added to the MgH_(2) by ball milling.Among the three samples with different amount of NZC/Ni@CNT(2.5,5.0 and 7.5 wt%),the MgH_(2)-5 wt%NZC/Ni@CNT composite exhibits the best hydrogen storage performances.After testing,the MgH_(2)-5 wt%NZC/Ni@CNT begins to release hydrogen at around 110℃ and hydrogen absorption capacity reaches 2.34 wt%H_(2) at 80℃ within 60 min.Moreover,the composite can release about 5.36 wt%H_(2) at 300℃.In addition,hydrogen absorption and desorption activation energies of the MgH_(2)-5 wt%NZC/Ni@CNT composite are reduced to 37.28 and 84.22 KJ/mol H_(2),respectively.The in situ generated Mg_(2)NiH_(4)/Mg_(2)Ni can serve as a"hydrogen pump"that plays the main role in providing more activation sites and hydrogen diffusion channels which promotes H_(2) dissociation during hydrogen absorption process.In addition,the evenly dispersed Zn and MgZn2 in Mg and MgH_(2) could provide sites for Mg/MgH_(2) nucleation and hydrogen diffusion channel.This attempt clearly proved that the bimetallic carbide Ni_(3)ZnC_(0.7) is a effective additive for the hydrogen storage performances modification of MgH_(2),and the facile synthesis of the Ni_(3)ZnC_(0.7)/Ni@CNT can provide directions of better designing high performance carbide catalysts for improving MgH_(2).

Hydrogen absorption/desorption cycling performance of Mg-based alloys with in-situ formed Mg_(2)Ni and LaH_(x)(x=2,3)nanocrystallines

Aiming to elucidate the hydrogen absorption/desorption cycling properties of Mg-based alloys with in-situ formed Mg_(2)Ni and LaH_(x)(x=2,3)nanocrystallines,the hydrogen storage cycle stability,hydriding/dehydriding cycling kinetics and thermodynamic stability of the experimental alloys have been investigated in detail.The results show that the Mg-Ni-La alloys exhibit improved hydrogen storage cycling properties and can remain storage hydrogen above 5.5 wt%after 200 cycles.With the increase of cycling numbers,the dehydrogenation rates of the experimental samples increase firstly and then gradually decrease,and eventually maintain relative stable state.Microstructure observation reveals that powders sintering and hydrogen decrepitation both exist during hydrogen absorption/desorption cycles due to repeated volume expansion and contraction.Meanwhile,the in-situ formed LaH_(x)(x=2,3)and Mg_(2)Ni nanocrystallines stabilize the microstructures of the particles and hinder the powders sintering.After 200 cycles,the average particle size of the experimental samples decreases and the specific surface area apparently increases,which leads to the decomposition temperatures of MgH_(2)and Mg_(2)NiH_(4)slightly shift to lower temperatures.Moreover,Mg_(2)Ni and LaH_(x)(x=2,3)have been proven to be stable catalysts during long-term cycling,which can still uniformly distribute within the powders after 200 cycles.

Hydrogen storage behavior of Mg-based alloy catalyzed by carbon-cobalt composites

The composites comprised of Co nanoparticle and C nanosheet were prepared though a high-temperature carbonization reaction.The catalysis of Co@C composites on the hydrogen storage behavior of Mg_(90)Ce_(5)Y_(5)alloy was investigated in detail by XRD,SEM,TEM,PCI,and DSC method.Because of the synergistic catalytic function of C and Co in C@Co nanocomposites,the Mg_(90)Ce_(5)Y_(5)alloy with 10 wt.%C@Co shows the excellent hydrogen absorption and desorption performances.Time for releasing hydrogen reduces from 150 min to 11 min with the addition of the C@Co composites at the temperature of 300℃.Meanwhile,the dehydrogenation activation energy also declines from 130.3 to 81.9 kJ mol^(-1)H_(2)after the addition of the C@Co composites.This positive effect attributes to the C layer with the high defect density and the Co nanoparticles,which reduces the energy barriers for the nucleation of Mg/MgH_(2)phase and the recombination of hydrogen molecule.Besides,the C@Co composites also improve the activation property of the Mg_(90)Ce_(5)Y_(5)alloy which was folly activated in the first cycle.Moreover,the temperature for initial dehydrogenation and the endothermic peak of the alloy hydride were also decreased.Although the addition of the C@Co composites increases the plateau pressures and decreases the value of the decomposition enthalpy,these differences are so small that the improvement on thermodynamics can hardly be seen.

MgH_2-Ti/Cr(AMORPHOUS)COMPOSITE FOR HYDROGEN STORAGE

Ti/Cr (atomic ratio 3:4) amorphous alloy was prepared by ball milling the rapidly quenched Ti/Cr ribbons for 30h, and then milled with MgH_2 for 50 h under Ar atmosphere to obtain MgH_2-30wt. % Ti/Cr composite. The XRD results indicate that MgH_2 decomposed partly during ball milling process. The brittle MgH_2 and the mechanical driving force resulted in a highly dispersive distribution of the Ti/Cr amorphous phase in the Mg matrix. The favorable hydrogenation performance is mainly attributed to the com...

Electrochemical hydrogen storage performances of the nanocrystalline and amorphous(Mg_(24)Ni_(10)Cu_2)_(100–x)Nd_x(x=0–20) alloys applied to Ni-MH battery

Melt spinning technology was used to prepare the Mg2 Ni-type（Mg24 Ni10 Cu2）100–x Ndx（x=0,5,10,15,20） alloys in order to obtain a nanocrystalline and amorphous structure.The effects of Nd content and spinning rate on the structures and electrochemical hydrogen storage performances of the alloys were investigated.The structure characterizations of X-ray diffraction（XRD）,transmission electron microscopy（TEM） and scanning electron microscopy（SEM） linked with energy dispersive spectroscopy（EDS） revealed that the as-spun Nd-free alloy displayed an entire nanocrystalline structure,whereas the as-spun Nd-added alloys held a nanocrystalline and amorphous structure and the degree of amorphization visibly increased with the rising of Nd content and spinning rate,suggesting that the addition of Nd facilitated the glass forming of the Mg2 Ni-type alloy.The electrochemical measurements indicated that the addition of Nd and melt spinning improved the electrochemical hydrogen storage performances of the alloys significantly.The discharge capacities of the as-cast and spun alloys exhibited maximum values when Nd content was x=10,which were 86.4,200.5,266.3,402.5 and 452.8 mAh/g corresponding to the spinning rate of 0（As-cast was defined as the spinning rate of 0 m/s）,10,20,30 and 40 m/s,respectively.The cycle stability（S20,the capacity maintain rate at 20thcycle） of the as-cast alloy always rose with the increasing of Nd content,and those of the as-spun alloys exhibited the maximum values for Nd content x=10,which were 77.9%,83.4% 89.2% and 89.7%,corresponding to the spinning rate of 10,20,30 and 40 m/s,respectively.

Catalytic effect comparison of TiO_(2) and La_(2)O_(3) on hydrogen storage thermodynamics and kinetics of the as-milled La-Sm-Mg-Ni-based alloy

In this investigation,mechanical grinding was applied to fabricating the Mg-based alloys La_(7)Sm_(3)Mg_(80)Ni_(10)+5 wt.%M(M=None,TiO_(2),La_(2)O_(3))(named La_(7)Sm_(3)Mg_(80)Ni_(10)-5 M(M=None,TiO_(2),La_(2)O_(3))).The result reveals that the structures of as-milled alloys consist of amorphous and nanocrystalline.The particle sizes of the added M(M=TiO_(2),La_(2)O_(3))alloys obviously diminish in comparison with the M=None specimen,suggesting that the catalysts TiO_(2)and La_(2)O_(3)can enhance the grinding efficiency.What’s more,the additives TiO_(2)and La_(2)O_(3)observably improve the activation performance and reaction kinetics of the composite.The time required by releasing 3 wt.%hydrogen at553,573 and 593 K is 988,553 and 419 s for the M=None sample,and 578,352 and 286 s for the M=TiO_(2)composite,and 594,366,301 s for the La_(2)O_(3)containing alloy,respectively.The absolute value of hydrogenation enthalpy change|△H|of the M(M=None,TiO_(2),La_(2)O_(3))alloys is 77.13,74.28 and 75.28 kJ/mol.Furthermore,the addition of catalysts reduces the hydrogen desorption activation energy(E_(a)^(de)).

Optimizing hydrogen ad/desorption of Mg-based hydrides for energy-storage applications

Hydrogen energy is expected to be an“ideal fuel”in the era of decarbonization.The discovery,de-velopment,and modification of high-performance hydrogen storage materials are the keys to the fu-ture development of solid-state hydrogen storage and hydrogen energy utilization.Magnesium hydride(MgH_(2)),with its high hydrogen storage capacity,abundant natural reserves,and environmental friend-liness,has been extensively researched.Herein,we briefly summarize the typical structure and hy-drogenation/dehydrogenation reaction mechanism of MgH_(2)and provide a comprehensive overview of strategies to effectively tune the thermodynamics and kinetics of Mg-based materials,such as alloy-ing,nanosizing,the introduction of additives,and composite modification.With substantial efforts,great achievements have been achieved,such as lower absorption/desorption temperatures and better cy-cling stability.Nonetheless,some pivotal issues remain to be addressed,such as unfavorable hydro-genation/dehydrogenation factors,harsh conditions,slow kinetics,incomplete dehydrogenation,low hy-drogen purity,expensive catalysts,and a lack of valid exploration of mechanisms in the hydrogena-tion/dehydrogenation process.Lastly,some future development prospects of MgH_(2)in energy-efficient conversion and storage have been presented,including advanced manufacturing ways,stabilization of nanostructures,the introduction of additives combined with structural modification,and utilization of advanced characterization techniques.

Influences of substituting Ni with M(M=Cu,Co,Mn)on gaseous and electrochemical hydrogen storage kinetics of Mg_(20)Ni_(10) alloys

In this work,a comprehensive comparison regarding the impacts of M(M=Cu,Co,Mn)substitution for Ni on the structures and the hydrogen storage kinetics of the nanocrystalline and amorphous Mg20Ni10-xMx(M=Cu,Co,Mn; x=0-4)alloys prepared by melt spinning has been carried out.The analysis of XRD and TEM reveals that the as-spun(M=None,Cu)alloys display an entire nanocrystalline structure,whereas the as-spun(M=Co,Mn)alloys hold a mixed structure of nanocrystalline and amorphous structure when M content x=4,indicating that the substitution of M(M=Co,Mn)for Ni facilitates the glass formation in the Mg2Ni-type alloy.Besides,all the as-spun alloys have a major phase of Mg2Ni but M(M=Co,Mn)substitution brings on the formation of some secondary phases,MgCo2 and Mg phases for M=Co as well as MnNi and Mg phases for M=Mn.Based upon the measurements of the automatic Sieverts apparatus and the automatic galvanostatic system,the impacts engendered by M(M=Cu,Co,Mn)substitution on the gaseous and electrochemical hydrogen storage kinetics of the alloys appear to be evident.The gaseous hydriding kinetics of the alloys first rises and then declines with the growing of M(M=Cu,Co,Mn)content.Particularly,the M(M= Mn)substitution results in a sharp drop in the hydriding kinetics when x=4.The M(M=Cu,Co,Mn)substitution ameliorates the dehydriding kinetics dramatically in the order(M=Co)>(M=Mn)>(M=Cu).The electrochemical kinetics of the alloys visibly grows with M content rising for(M=Cu,Co),while it first increases and then declines for(M=Mn).

Electrochemical hydrogen storage properties of La_(0.95)Mg_(2.05)Ni_9 alloy prepared by mechanical alloying

The structure, microstructure, thermal stability and hydriding characteristics of amorphous La0.95-Mg2.05Ni9 have been investigated with differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and battery test. It is found that the increase in mechanical alloying time leads to enhancement in thermal stabilities of amorphous La0.95Mg2.05Ni9 alloy. The amorphous alloy has good charge/discharge ability at room temperature(430 mA·h·g-1), but the discharge capacity decreases seriously during cycling tests due to the crystallization of amorphous and oxidization of magnesium on the particle surface in alkaline aqueous solution.

Vermiform Ni@CNT derived from one-pot calcination of Ni-MOF precursor for improving hydrogen storage of MgH_(2)

The Ni-coated carbon nanotubes(Ni@CNT)composite was synthesized by the facile“filtration+calcination”of Ni-based metal−organic framework(MOF)precursor and the obtained composite was used as a catalyst for MgH_(2).MgH_(2)was mixed evenly with different amounts of Ni@CNT(2.5,5.0 and 7.5,wt.%)through ball milling.The MgH_(2)−5wt.%Ni@CNT can absorb 5.2 wt.%H_(2)at 423 K in 200 s and release about 3.75 wt.%H_(2)at 573 K in 1000 s.And its dehydrogenation and rehydrogenation activation energies are reduced to 87.63 and 45.28 kJ/mol(H_(2)).The in-situ generated Mg_(2)Ni/Mg_(2)NiH4 exhibits a good catalytic effect due to the provided more diffusion channels that can be used as“hydrogen pump”.And the presence of carbon nanotubes improves the properties of MgH_(2)to some extent.

Structural features of 18R-type long-period stacking ordered phase in Mg85Zn6Y9 alloy and the Ni doping effect on its hydrogen storage properties

Magnesium-based alloys with 18R-type long-period stacking ordered(LPSO)structures have attracted wide attention for structural and functional applications.To understand hydrogen storage properties of 18R phase,the Mg_(85)Zn_(6)Y_(9)alloy with 94 wt.%of 18R-type LPSO phase is prepared in this work.The 18R phase has a layered structure where Y-Zn-Mg and Mg layers alternately stack along the c-axis.In the Y-Zn-Mg layers,Y,Zn and partial Mg sites are co-occupied by Y and Mg,Zn and Mg,and Mg and Zn/Y atoms,respectively.Thus the 18R phase is easily decomposed intoα-MgH_(2),γ-MgH_(2),YH_(2),YH_(3),C14-type Laves phase MgZn_(2)and minor CsCl-type Y(Mg,Zn)during ball milling under hydrogen atmosphere.Af-ter further hydrogen absorption-desorption cycling,Y(Mg,Zn)disappears gradually and C14 phase trans-forms into C15-type Laves phase.By contrast,the Mg_(85)Zn_(6)Y_(9)alloy has better hydrogen storage kinetics and cycle durability than pure Mg because of the catalytic effect of YH_(2)/YH_(3)on hydrogen absorption-desorption and inhibition role of Laves phase in Mg crystallite growth.Moreover,the introduction of Ni into Mg_(85)Zn_(6)Y_(9)sample leads to a further decrease in activation energy of hydrogen desorption from 106.39 to 96.78 kJ mol−1 due to the formation of Mg_(2)Ni.This work not only provides new insights into structural features and hydrogen storage characteristics of 18R phase but offers an effective method for improving hydrogen storage properties.