Nanostructured carbon materials for hydrogen energetics

Peteris Lesnicenoks^{1, 2*}, Liga Grinberga¹, Laimonis Jekabsons¹, Andris Antuzevičš¹, Astrida Berzina², Maris Knite², Gatis Taurins³, Šarūnas Varnagiris⁴, Janis Kleperis¹

¹Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Kengaraga Street 8, Riga, LV 1063, Latvia

²Institute of Technical Physics, Faculty of Materials Science and Applied Chemistry, Riga Technical University, Paula Valdena street 3/7, Riga, LV 1048, Latvia

³“Keramserviss” LTD, Tauriņi, Adazi, LV 2164, Latvia

⁴Centre for Hydrogen energy technologies, Lithuanian energy institute, Breslaujos g. 3, Kaunas, LT-44403, Lithuania

Adv. Mater. Lett., 2017, 8 (4), pp 518-523

DOI: 10.5185/amlett.2017.7088

Publication Date (Web): Mar 15, 2017

E-mail: peteris.lesnicenoks@rtu.lv

Full Article

Abstract

Hydrogen storage is one of the main problems, to catalyse wide hydrogen use in transportation, technology and energetics. Composites involving nanostructured carbon species could be the solution for hydrogen storage problem because of their promising surface/volume relation. Not only catalysis and gas sensing on graphene basis should be considered, but also metal decorated graphene structures for use in hydrogen storage should be an active field for research and development. Heat conductivity and large surface area of graphene-like materials can endorse research for hydrogen storage in low pressures and close to room temperature (RT) conditions - increasing possibility for RT-range devices in hydrogen energetics. For increased hydrogen storage investigations, we propose metal intercalated graphene structures, acquired during synthesis of graphene sheets. Intercalation, or decoration of graphene surfaces and edges have shown possibility to stabilize defects in graphene sheets. Graphene defects have shown to be sensitive against hydrogen gas and might as well prove themselves stable enough to achieve low pressure hydrogen storage. A simple method is proposed for synthesis of graphene sheet stacks (GSS). There is lack of research for synthesis of carbon nanomaterials from industrial graphite waste. Our research for stabilization of electrolyte solution and increased production amounts for hydrogen accepting samples continues.