Polyelectrolyte multilayered nanofilms as a novel approach for the protection of hydrogen storage materials

This work describes the encapsulation of hydrogen storage materials from organic solvents. Due to complex formation the shell provides stability and selective permeability. Specifically, sodium borohydride particles were encapsulated within polymer films by the layer-by-layer self-assembly of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes (polyethyleneimine and poly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co-acrylic acid)). The polymer nanofilm fabrication was performed using dichloromethane as a working media. IR spectroscopy was applied to investigate the chemical interaction between the polyelectrolytes. The multilayer film preparation was verified by Z-potential measurements, scanning electron microscopy, and confocal laser microscopy. The stability of sodium borohydride protected with a polyelectrolyte shell was increased compared to that of the pure material under ambient conditions.