Controlled Release of Hydrogen Isotopes from Hydride-Magnetic Nanomaterials

In this work, hydrogen isotopes in the form of protium and deuterium were rapidly desorbed from magnetic-hydride iron oxide-palladium (Fe₂O₃-Pd) hybrid nanomaterials using an alternating magnetic field (AFM). Palladium (Pd), a hydride material with a well-known hydrogen isotope effect, was deposited on an Fe₂O₃ magnetic nanoparticle support by solution chemistries and used as a hydrogen isotope storage component. The morphological, structural, optical, and magnetic studies reveal that the Fe₂O₃-Pd nanoparticles are hybrid structures exhibiting both hydrogen isotope storage (Pd) and magnetic (Fe₂O₃) properties. The hydrogen isotope sorption/desorption behavior of metal hydride-magnetic nanomaterials was assessed by isothermal pressure-composition response curves (isotherms). The amount and rate of hydrogen isotope gas release was tuned by simply adjusting the strength of the magnetic field strength applied. Protium and deuterium displayed similar loading capacities, namely, H/M 0.55 and H/M = 0.45, but different plateau pressures. Significant differences in the kinetics of release for protium and deuterium during magnetic heating were observed. A series of magnetically induced charge-discharge cycling experiments were conducted showing that this is a highly reproducible and robust process.