NaAlH4 Mixed with Carbon Nanotubes, Fullerene, and Titanium to Yield the Lowest Temperature for Hydrogen Desorption.

Recent research in hydrogen storage has improved dehydrogenation methods with solid-state compounds. NaAlH4 is a complex hydrides which release hydrogen at a lower temperature making the compound a great candidate for hydrogen storage. However, a catalyst should be combined with NaAlH4 to release the lowest desorption temperature. Prior research showed that interaction of NaAlH4 with nanotube or fullerene effectively weakens the Al-H bonds causing hydrogen desorption at lower temperatures. In the present study, NaAlH4 is ball milled with three of these catalysts: titanium, carbon nanotubes and fullerene and the milling time is varied from 10 to 30 minutes to compare the dehydrogenation rates in each setup. The phase structures were identified using the X-ray diffraction. Of these catalysts, the fullerene yielded the most interesting result showing nanostructuring of the hydride during ball milling. The possibility of ``shot peening'' of the NaAlH4 by the fullerenes is explored.