. 24/7 Space News .
ENERGY TECH
Confined nanoparticles improve hydrogen storage materials performance
by Staff Writers
Livermore CA (SPX) Feb 28, 2017


Hydrogenation forms a mixture of lithium amide and hydride (light blue) as an outer shell around a lithium nitride particle (dark blue) nanoconfined in carbon. Nanoconfinement suppresses all other intermediate phases to prevent interface formation, which has the effect of dramatically improving the hydrogen storage performance. Image courtesy Sandia National Laboratories.

Sometimes, you have to go small to win big. That is the approach a multilab, interdisciplinary team took in using nanoparticles and a novel nanoconfinement system to develop a method to change hydrogen storage properties.

This discovery could enable the creation of high-capacity hydrogen storage materials capable of quick refueling, improving the performance of emerging hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.

Sandia National Laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the National Institute of Standards and Technology and Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand, collaborated on the research, which was published Feb. 8 in the journal Advanced Materials Interfaces.

The work was funded by the Department of Energy's (DOE) Fuel Cell Technologies Office and the Boeing Co.

Accelerating the uptake and release of hydrogen
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are powered by an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen inside a fuel cell. While oxygen is provided by air, the hydrogen must be stored separately on the vehicle. Current fuel cell electric vehicles store hydrogen as a high-pressure gas.

A solid material can act like a sponge for the absorption and release of hydrogen, in chemical terms hydrogenation and dehydrogenation. Thus using such a hydrogen storage material could increase how much hydrogen can be stored. The material must be able to store enough hydrogen for the vehicle to go at least 300 miles before refueling.

"There are two critical problems with existing sponges for hydrogen storage," said Sandia chemist Vitalie Stavila. "Most can't soak up enough hydrogen for cars. Also, the sponges don't release and absorb hydrogen fast enough, especially compared to the 5 minutes needed for fueling."

In this effort, Stavila explained, the interdisciplinary team of scientists worked closely on the synthesis, characterization and modeling to improve the properties of lithium nitride, a promising hydrogen storage sponge. The team also developed a fundamental understanding of why nanosizing improves the hydrogen storage properties of this material.

Confining the space
The idea came from Mahidol University graduate student Natchapol "Golf" Poonyayant, who approached Sandia with the idea of using nanoconfinement to enhance hydrogen storage reactions in nitrogen-containing compounds. Working with the Sandia researchers, Poonyayant, his adviser, Pasit Pakawatpanurut, and fellow Mahidol student Natee "Game" Angboonpong found that liquid ammonia could be used as a gentle and efficient solvent for introducing metals and nitrogen into the pockets of carbon nanoparticles, producing nanoconfined lithium nitride particles.

The new material that emerged from Poonyayant's idea showed some unusual and unexpected properties. First, the amount of lithium nitride in the carbon nanoparticle host was quite high for a nanoconfined system, about 40 percent. Second, the nanoconfined lithium nitride absorbed and released hydrogen more rapidly than the bulk material. Furthermore, once the lithium nitride had been hydrogenated, it also released hydrogen in only one step and much faster than the bulk system that took two steps.

"In other words, the chemical pathways for both hydrogen absorption and release in this hydrogen storage material were dramatically changed for the better," said Sandia chemist Lennie Klebanoff.

Understanding the puzzle
To better understand the mechanism responsible for this improvement, the Sandia scientists reached out to computational scientist Brandon Wood of LLNL, a leading expert in the theory of solid-state reactions. Wood and his LLNL colleagues Tae Wook Heo, Jonathan Lee and Keith Ray discovered that the reason for the unusual behavior was the energy associated with two material interfaces.

Since the lithium nitride nanoparticles are only 3 nanometers wide, even the smallest energetically unfavorable process is avoided in the hydrogen storage properties. For lithium nitride nanoparticles undergoing hydrogenation reactions, the avoidance of unfavorable intermediates - extra steps in the chemical process - increases efficiency.

Taking the path of least resistance, the material undergoes a single-step path to full hydrogenation. Similarly, once hydrogenated, the nanoparticles release hydrogen by the lowest energy pathway available, which in this case is direct hydrogen release back to lithium nitride.

"In this way, the nanointerfaces drive the hydrogen storage properties when the materials are made very small, for example with nanoconfinement," said Wood. "The purposeful control of nanointerfaces offers a new way to optimize hydrogen storage reaction chemistry."

The next step
According to the Sandia and LLNL researchers, the next step is to further understand how the dehydrogenated and hydrogenated phases of lithium nitride change at the nanoscale. This is a stiff challenge to the team, as it requires imaging different chemical phases within a particle that is only several nanometers wide.

The team will draw on the capabilities within the DOE's Hydrogen Storage Materials Advanced Research Consortium (HyMARC), led by Sandia and comprised additionally of scientists from LLNL and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The team plans to use spatially resolved synchrotron radiation from LBNL's Advanced Light Source to probe interface chemistry and structure.

In addition, since the nanoporous carbon host is "dead weight" from a hydrogen storage perspective, the team is examining ways to "lighten the load" and find carbon materials with more nanopockets for a given carbon mass.

"We are thrilled with this technical advance and excited to take on the work ahead," said Klebanoff. "But it's bittersweet. Golf, who inspired this work and conducted many of the syntheses, died tragically at the age of 25 during the writing of this paper. The world has lost a talented young man and we have lost a dear friend whom we miss. This work and its published account are dedicated to Golf and his family."

ENERGY TECH
Nano-sized hydrogen storage system increases efficiency
Livermore CA (SPX) Feb 28, 2017
Lawrence Livermore scientists have collaborated with an interdisciplinary team of researchers including colleagues from Sandia National Laboratories to develop an efficient hydrogen storage system that could be a boon for hydrogen powered vehicles. Hydrogen is an excellent energy carrier, but the development of lightweight solid-state materials for compact, low-pressure storage is a huge c ... read more

Related Links
Sandia National Laboratories
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


Comment on this article using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

ENERGY TECH
NASA Releases Free Software Catalog

India has capability to develop space station, says top official

Orion spacecraft achieves key safety milestone

The NASA Imager Dentists Use Daily

ENERGY TECH
Space squadron supports record-breaking satellites launch

Blue Origin shares video of New Glenn rocket

Europe launches fourth Earth monitoring satellite

Elon Musk: tech dreamer reaching for sun, moon and stars

ENERGY TECH
New evidence for a water-rich history on Mars

Humans May Quickly Evolve on Mars, Biologist Claims

NASA Orbiter Steers Clear of Mars Moon Phobos

Remnants of a mega-flood on Mars

ENERGY TECH
China launches experiment satellite "TK-1"

Riding an asteroid: China's next space goal

China's 1st cargo spacecraft to make three rendezvous with Tiangong-2

China to launch space station core module in 2018

ENERGY TECH
How low can you go? New project to bring satellites nearer to Earth

Teal Group Pegs Value of Space Payloads Through 2036 at Over $250 Billion

Iridium Safety Voice Communications Installs Surge Past 500 Aircraft

Turkey Moves Closer to Launching Own Space Agency

ENERGY TECH
Aireon and Thales Begin Validation of Space-Based ADS-B Data

Bubble-recoil could be used to cool microchips, even in space

Space surveillance radar system fully operational

Coffee-ring effect leads to crystallization control

ENERGY TECH
Hunting for giant planet analogs in our own backyard

Biochemical 'fossil' shows how life may have emerged without phosphate

Faraway Planet Systems Are Shaped Like the Solar System

The missing link in how planets form

ENERGY TECH
Juno to remain in current orbit at Jupiter

Europa Flyby Mission Moves into Design Phase

NASA receives science report on Europa lander concept

New Horizons Refines Course for Next Flyby









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.