A kinetics study on promising hydrogen storage properties of Mg-based thin films at room temperature

Pd-Mg-Pd thin films with variable thickness of Mg layers were prepared. Their optical and electrical changes in both gasochromic and chemochromic processes were compared to investigate the kinetics of Mg-based thin films at room temperature. Hydrogen absorption and desorption kinetics of Pd-Mg-Pd thin films were strongly dependent on the thickness of the Mg layer. Especially, when the thickness was lowered to 60 nm, a MgH2 layer formed immediately after exposure to H2 at room temperature, while a Mg layer was rapidly generated during hydrogen desorption in ambient air. By means of optical and electrical resistance measurements, we found that the diffusion process contributed significantly to hydrogen absorption and desorption. The remarkable absorption and desorption kinetics at room temperature reported here suggested promising applications in Mg-based energy-efficient devices and hydrogen sensors.