A team of researchers from the ‘HyStorM’ project, a collaboration between Oxford University, Johnson Matthey, Ilika Technologies and the ISIS facility, funded by the Technology Strategy Board, used innovative high-resolution Powder X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) techniques on Diamond’s I11 beamline to examine the hydrogen storage properties of a range of metal borohydrides. These experiments have included the first ever high temperature high hydrogen pressure diffraction experiments at Diamond.
“We were hoping to be able to determine the crucial structural parameters that affect the temperatures of decomposition and rehydrogenation of these high hydrogen density materials. Our studies have shown that we can influence the decomposition temperature and rehydrogenation processes by careful control of the decomposition mechanisms.”Prof Bill David
Unique high-throughput combinatorial thin-film technologies are used to screen materials' hydrogen storage properties. Promisingly, thin-film work on Mg–Ti–B identified a high capacity hotspot corresponding to Mg0.36Ti0.06B0.58, with 10.6 wt% H2 capacity, showing tuned storage properties indicative of mixed metal borohydride type film material, although the thin-film Ca–Ti–B ternary showed only low hydrogen storage capacities. In the bulk, Ti-doping experiments on Ca(BH4)2 demonstrated reversible storage capacities up to 5.9 wt% H2.
Further characterisation experiments are required to decipher the role of the Ti-dopant in these systems in both films and in the bulk, and we can look forward to further developments in the months ahead.
A multidisciplinary combinatorial approach for tuning promising hydrogen storage materials towards automotive applications, Faraday Discussions 13 May 2011
DOI: 10.1039/C0FD00018C
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