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Thermodynamically destabilized hydride formation in "bulk" Mg-AlTi multilayers for hydrogen storage
Peter Kalisvaart1, Babak Shalchi-Amirkhiz, Ramin Zahiri
1University of Alberta, Chemical & Materials Engineering, 9107 116th Street, T6G 2V4, Edmonton AB, Canada. pkalisvaart@gmail.com.
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics : PCCP
|August 20, 2013
Summary
Adding aluminum-titanium (AlTi) alloy interlayers to magnesium hydride (MgH2) materials improves hydrogen storage capacity. This thermodynamic destabilization enhances MgH2 formation, boosting hydrogen storage up to 5.5 wt%.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Magnesium hydride (MgH2) is a promising material for hydrogen storage due to its high hydrogen capacity.
- However, its practical application is limited by unfavorable thermodynamics for hydrogen release and absorption.
- Interfacial engineering offers a pathway to tune the thermodynamic properties of metal hydrides.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of interfacial interactions on the thermodynamic properties of MgH2 formation.
- To explore the potential of Mg-AlTi multilayers for enhanced hydrogen storage.
- To quantify the interfacial energies and their impact on MgH2 thermodynamics.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of free-standing Mg-AlTi and Mg-Ti multilayer thin films with bulk dimensions (0.5 μm).
- Calculation of interfacial energies between Mg-AlTi and Mg-Ti using thermodynamic principles.
- Assessment of hydrogen storage capacity of the fabricated materials.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated thermodynamic destabilization of MgH2 formation in Mg-AlTi multilayers.
- Achieved a hydrogen storage capacity of up to 5.5 wt% in the Mg-AlTi system.
- Calculated interfacial energies: Mg-AlTi (0.81 J m⁻²) and Mg-Ti (0.44 J m⁻²).
- The higher interfacial energy of AlTi compared to Ti was identified as a key factor.
Conclusions:
- Interfacial engineering via AlTi interlayers significantly improves the thermodynamic properties of MgH2.
- The enhanced interfacial energy of AlTi enables the creation of ultrathin alloy interlayers for further thermodynamic improvements.
- This approach offers a promising strategy for developing advanced metal hydrides for efficient hydrogen storage applications.
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