Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
Theoretical Calculation and Experimental Verification for Dislocation Reduction in Germanium Epitaxial Layers with Semicylindrical Voids on Silicon
Published on: July 17, 2020
Reducing the dehydrogenation temperature of lithium hydride through alloying with germanium
Marwa A Abbas1, David M Grant, Michela Brunelli
1Energy and Sustainability Research Division, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
Abstract:
LiH is a highly stable light metal hydride with a hydrogen capacity of 12.5 wt%. However, having a dehydrogenation enthalpy, ΔH(dehy), of 181.2 kJ mol(-1)(H2) and a resultant T(1 bar) of 944 °C, it is not a practical hydride for most hydrogen storage applications. In the work presented here, germanium has been found to dramatically reduce the dehydrogenation temperature for LiH down to just 270 °C. The enthalpy of dehydrogenation was reduced through the formation of lithium germanides. The reaction pathway was identified in this study using in situ powder neutron diffraction, showing the successive formation of more Li-rich germanides, following the series: LiGe, Li4Ge2H, Li9Ge4, and Li7Ge2. The enthalpy of formation for these germanides provides the thermodynamic tuning to reduce the ΔH(dehy) for the system. The 3LiH-Ge system investigated is found to be reversible with a maximum capacity of 3.0 ± 0.1 wt%.
More Related Videos
08:15Synthesis of Nine-atom Deltahedral Zintl Ions of Germanium and their Functionalization with Organic Groups
Published on: February 11, 2012
09:45Accessing Valuable Ligand Supports for Transition Metals: A Modified, Intermediate Scale Preparation of 1,2,3,4,5-Pentamethylcyclopentadiene
Published on: March 20, 2017
Related Concept Videos
01:19Acid Halides to Alcohols: LiAlH4 Reduction
The mechanism proceeds in three steps. First, the nucleophilic hydride ion attacks the carbonyl carbon of the acid halide to form a tetrahedral intermediate. Next, the carbonyl group is re-formed, and the halide ion departs as a leaving group, generating an aldehyde. A second nucleophilic attack by the hydride yields an alkoxide ion, which, upon protonation, gives a primary alcohol as...
01:17Esters to Alcohols: Hydride Reductions
Lithium aluminum hydride is a source of hydride ions and functions as a nucleophile. The mechanism proceeds in three steps. Firstly, the nucleophilic hydride ion attacks the carbonyl carbon of the ester to form a tetrahedral intermediate. Subsequently, the carbonyl group re-forms,...
02:23Alcohols from Carbonyl Compounds: Reduction
Catalytic hydrogenation is similar to the reduction of an alkene or alkyne by adding H2 across the pi bond in the presence of transition metal catalysts like Raney Ni, Pd–C, Pt, or Ru. Aldehydes and ketones can be reduced by this method, often under mild to moderate heat (25–100°C) and...
01:20Amides to Amines: LiAlH4 Reduction
Amide reduction requires two equivalents of the reducing agent, acting as a source of hydride ions. As shown in the figure, the reaction is initiated with a nucleophilic attack by the hydride ion at the carbonyl carbon to form a tetrahedral intermediate.
00:55Nitriles to Amines: LiAlH4 Reduction
As shown below, the mechanism involves three steps. Firstly, the hydride ion acting as a nucleophile attacks the nitrile carbon to form an anion. In the second step, a second equivalent of the hydride ion attacks the anion to...
01:15Acid Halides to Alcohols: Grignard Reaction
Grignard reagents are a source of carbanions and function as nucleophiles. The mechanism begins with the nucleophilic attack by the carbanion at the carbonyl carbon of the acid halide to form a tetrahedral intermediate. Next, the carbonyl group is re-formed, and the halide ion departs,...