Many new material systems are being explored to enable smaller, more capable and energy efficient devices. These bottom up approaches for atomic and molecular electronics, quantum computation, and data storage all rely on a well-developed understanding of materials at the atomic scale. Here, we report a versatile scanning tunneling microscope (STM) charge characterization technique, which reduces the influence of the typically perturbative STM tip field, to develop this understanding even further. Using this technique, we can now observe single molecule binding events to atomically defined reactive sites (fabricated on a hydrogen-terminated silicon surface) through electronic detection. We then developed a new error correction tool for automated hydrogen lithography, directing molecular hydrogen binding events using these sites to precisely repassivate surface dangling bonds (without the use of a scanned probe). We additionally incorporated this molecular repassivation technique as the primary rewriting mechanism in new ultra-dense atomic data storage designs (0.88 petabits per in$^{2}$).
Despite high interest in compact and safe storage of hydrogen in the solid-state hydride form, the design of alloys that can reversibly and quickly store hydrogen at room temperature under pressures close to atmospheric pressure is a long-lasting challenge. In this study, first-principles calculations are combined with experiments to develop high-entropy alloys (HEAs) for room-temperature hydrogen storage. TixZr2-xCrMnFeNi (x = 0.4-1.6) alloys with the Laves phase structure and low hydrogen binding energies of -0.1 to -0.15 eV are designed and synthesized. The HEAs reversibly store hydrogen in…
We have used first-principles methods to investigate how metal atoms dispersed in the interlayer space of graphitic materials affect their hydrogen-binding properties. We have considered ideal stage-one metal-intercalated graphites of various compositions as representative model systems. Our calculations suggest that alkaline earth metals can significantly enhance the hydrogen storage properties: for example, Be and Mg atoms would act as binding sites of three or four hydrogen molecules, with binding energies per H$_2$ in the 0.2--0.7 eV range, as required for applications. We also find that a…
Hybrid 2D-2D materials composed by perpendicularly oriented covalent organic framework (COFs) and graphene were prepared and tested for energy storage applications. Diboronic acid molecules covalently attached to graphene oxide (GO) were used as nucleation sites for directing vertical growth of COF-1 nanosheets (v-COF-GO). The hybrid material shows forest of COF-1 nanosheets with thickness of ~3 to 15 nm in edge-on orientation relative to GO. The same reaction performed in absence of molecular pillars resulted in uncontrollable growth of thick COF-1 platelets parallel to the surface of GO. The…
Using first-principles calculations, we perform a search for high-capacity hydrogen storage media based on individually dispersed calcium atoms on doped or defective carbon nanotubes. We find that up to six H2 molecules can bind to a Ca atom each with a desirable binding energy of ~0.2 eV/H2. The hybridization of the empty Ca 3d states with the H2 sigma states contributes to the H2 binding, and Ca clustering is suppressed by preferential binding of Ca atoms to doped boron and defect sites dispersed on carbon nanotubes. We also show that individual Ca-decorated B-doped CNTs with a concentration…
We study the hydrogen storage properties of planar boron sheets and compare them to those of graphene. The binding of molecular hydrogen to the boron sheet (0.05 eV) is stronger than that to graphene. We find that dispersion of alkali metal (AM = Li, Na, and K) atoms onto the boron sheet markedly increases hydrogen binding energies and storage capacities. The unique structure of the boron sheet presents a template for creating a stable lattice of strongly bonded metal atoms with a large nearest neighbor distance. In contrast, AM atoms dispersed on graphene tend to cluster to form a bulk metal.…
Methane, the primary constituent of natural gas, binds too weakly to nanostructured carbons to meet the targets set for on-board vehicular storage to be viable. We show, using density functional theory calculations, that replacing graphene by graphene oxide increases the adsorption energy of methane by 50%. This enhancement is sufficient to achieve the optimal binding strength. In order to gain insight into the sources of this increased binding, that could also be used to formulate design principles for novel storage materials, we consider a sequence of model systems, that progressively take u…
Borophene, the boron atom analogue to graphene, being atomic thick have been just recently experimentally fabricated. In this work, we employ first-principles density functional theory calculations to investigate the interaction of Ca, Mg, Na or Li atoms with single-layer and free-standing borophene. We first identified the most stable binding sites and their corresponding binding energies as well and then we gradually increased the ions concentration. Our calculations predict strong binding energies of around 4.03 eV, 2.09 eV, 2.92 eV and 3.28 eV between the borophene substrate and Ca, Mg, Na…
Hydrogen is deemed as an attractive energy carrier alternative to fossil fuels, and it is required to store for many applications. Physisorption is one of the promising ways to store H$_2$ for its practical applications. Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) are promising candidates for H$_2$-storage due to high porosity, surface area and tunable characteristics. To improve the hydrogen physisorption in the COFs, the chelation of transition metals (TM) in the building blocks of the framework has been studied by using first principle-based density functional theory (DFT) method. Here, we report to…
The effects of fluorine functionalization on the hydrogen storage capability of alkaline decorated III\textsubscript{4}-V\textsubscript{4} monolayers is studied. This structure can store up to two hydrogen molecules per alkaline atom. Here, we demonstrate that functionalizing alkaline decorated monolayer with a high electronegative element of fluorine can significantly enhance both binding energy and the maximum number of the stored hydrogen molecules. In this regard, the hydrogen molecule storage capability is notably improved from two to four and when absolute binding is considered. In addit…
We study polylithiated molecules as building blocks for hydrogen storage materials, using first-principles calculations. $\clifour$ and $\olitwo$ bind 12 and 10 hydrogen molecules, respectively, with an average binding energy of 0.10 and 0.13 eV, leading to gravimetric densities of 37.8 and 40.3 weight % H. Bonding between Li and C or O is strongly polar and $\hyd$ molecules attach to the partially charged Li atoms without dissociating, which is favorable for (de)hydrogenation kinetics. CLi$_n$ and OLi$_m$ molecules can be chemically bonded to graphene sheets to hinder the aggregation of such …
Ab initio density-functional theory study suggests that pillared Li-dispersed boron carbide nanotubes is capable of storing hydrogen with a mass density higher than 6.0 weight% and a volumetric density higher than 45 g/L. The boron substitution in carbon nanotube greatly enhances the binding energy of Li atom to the nanotube, and this binding energy (~ 2.7 eV) is greater than the cohesive energy of lithium metal (~1.7 eV), preventing lithium from aggregation (or segregation) at high lithium doping concentration. The adsorption energy of hydrogen on the Li-dispersed boron carbide nanotube is in…
First principles based DFT calculations performed to insight structural and electronic properties of Boron doped Magnesium atom decorated graphene sheet for application of hydrogen storage. The four H2 molecules stably binds magnesium atom with Boron doped graphene sheet. The average binding energy extracted in the range-0.566 to -0.687 eV/H2.Partial density of states of complex system shows s and d orbitals of H2 molecule and Mg atom at -0.1eV overlaps of main peaks indicates strong hybridizing and binding of s and d orbitals of H2 and Mg atom respectively. The gravimetric capacity of studied…
We report a first-principles study of hydrogen storage media consisting of calcium atoms and graphene-based nanostructures. We find that Ca atoms prefer to be individually adsorbed on the zigzag edge of graphene with a Ca-Ca distance of 10 A without clustering of the Ca atoms, and up to six H2 molecules can bind to a Ca atom with a binding energy of ~0.2 eV/H2. A Ca-decorated zigzag graphene nanoribbon (ZGNR) can reach the gravimetric capacity of ~5 wt % hydrogen. We also consider various edge geometries of the graphene for Ca dispersion.
The capacity of Ti-capped sp carbon atomic chains for use as hydrogen storage media is studied using first-principles density functional theory. The Ti atom is strongly attached at one end of the carbon chains via d-p hybridization, forming stable TiCn complexes. We demonstrate that the number of adsorbed H2 on Ti through Kubas interaction depends upon the chain types. For polyyne (n even) or cumulene (n odd) structures, each Ti atom can hold up to five or six H2 molecules, respectively. Furthermore, the TiC5 chain effectively terminated on a C20 fullerene can store hydrogen with optimal bindi…
We have found that a beryllium (Be) atom on nanostructured materials with H2 molecules generates a Kubas-like dihydrogen complex [H. Lee et al. arXiv:1002.2247v1 (2010)]. Here, we investigate the feasibility of Be-decorated fullerenes for hydrogen storage using ab initio calculations. We find that the aggregation of Be atoms on pristine fullerenes is energetically preferred, resulting in the dissociation of the dihydrogen. In contrast, for boron (B)-doped fullerenes, Be atoms prefer to be individually attached to B sites of the fullerenes, and a maximum of one H2 molecule binds to each Be atom…
Expanding pollution and rapid consumption of natural reservoirs (gas, oil, and coal) led humankind to explore alternative energy fuels like hydrogen fuel. Solid-state hydrogen storage is most desirable because of its usefulness in the onboard vehicle. In this work, we explored the yttrium decorated ultra porous, two-dimensional holey-graphyne for hydrogen storage. Using the first principles DFT simulations, we predict that yttrium doped holey graphyne can adsorb up to seven hydrogen molecules per yttrium atom resulting in a gravimetric hydrogen weight percentage of 9.34, higher than the target…
Using density functional theory we show that an applied electric field substantially improves the hydrogen storage properties of a BN sheet by polarizing the hydrogen molecules as well as the substrate. The adsorption energy of a single H2 molecule in the presence of an electric field of 0.05 a.u. is 0.48 eV compared to 0.07 eV in its absence. When one layer of H2 molecules is adsorbed, the binding energy per H2 molecule increases from 0.03 eV in the field-free case to 0.14 eV/H2 in the presence of an electric field of 0.045 a.u. The corresponding gravimetric density of 7.5 wt % is consistent …
Hydrogen Storage on Transition-Metal-Decorated Nitrogen-Modified Carbon Nanoribbons
University of New England（新英格兰大学）；Karpagam Academy of Higher Education（卡尔帕甘高等教育学院）；Bhabha Atomic Research Centre（巴哈原子研究中心）；Homi Bhabha National Institute（霍米·巴巴国立研究所）；University of Canberra（堪培拉大学）；The University of Queensland（昆士兰大学）
Nitrogen-doped graphene was recently synthesized and was reported to be a catalyst for hydrogen dissociative adsorption under a perpendicular applied electric field (F). In this work, the diffusion of H atoms on N-doped graphene, in the presence and absence of an applied perpendicular electric field, is studied using density functional theory. We demonstrate that the applied field can significantly facilitate the binding of hydrogen molecules on N-doped graphene through dissociative adsorption and diffusion on the surface. By removing the applied field the absorbed H atoms can be released effi…
Silicene, germanene and stanene likely to graphene are atomic thick material with interesting properties. We employed first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate and compare the interaction of Na or Li ions on these films. We first identified the most stable binding sites and their corresponding binding energies for a single Na or Li adatom on the considered membranes. Then we gradually increased the ions concentration until the full saturation of the surfaces is achieved. Our Bader charge analysis confirmed complete charge transfer between Li or Na ions with t…
Li and Na attachment to free tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) molecules and TCNE adsorbed on doped graphene is studied using density functional theory. While TCNE is adsorbed only weakly on ideal graphene, we identified a configuration in which TCNE is chemisorbed on Al-doped graphene via molecule C atom and a surface oxygen atom. Up to four (five) Li and Na atoms can be stored on both free (adsorbed) TCNE with binding energies stronger than cohesive energies of the Li and Na metals. When storing up to three atoms per molecule, it should be possible to avoid reduction of common battery electrolytes. …
The storage of hydrogen (H$_2$) is of economic and ecological relevance, because it could potentially replace petroleum-based fuels. However, H$_2$ storage at mild condition remains one of the bottlenecks for its widespread usage. In order to devise successful H$_2$ storage strategies, there is a need for a fundamental understanding of the weak and elusive hydrogen interactions at the quantum mechanical level. One of the most promising strategies for storage at mild pressure and temperature is physisorption. Porous materials are specially effective at physisorption, however the process at the …
Sorbent materials are a promising alternative to advance hydrogen storage technologies. The general disadvantage is the relatively weak solid-gas interaction and adsorption energy, providing low gravimetric and volumetric capacities and extreme operational conditions. Here we propose Au-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as an efficient alternative for reversible hydrogen capture at high temperatures. This work investigates the properties of several modified CNTs using density functional theory. We analyze the binding and formation energies of the uniformed Au-doped CNTs and assess their adsorption…
We study a versatile structurally favorable periodic $sp^2$-bonded carbon atomic planar sheet with $C_{4v}$ symmetry by means of the first-principles calculations. This carbon allotrope is composed of carbon octagons and squares with two bond lengths and is thus dubbed as octagraphene. It is a semimetal with the Fermi surface consisting of one hole and one electron pocket, whose low-energy physics can be well described by a tight-binding model of $π$-electrons. Its Young's modulus, breaking strength and Poisson's ratio are obtained to be 306 $N/m$, 34.4 $N/m$ and 0.13, respectively, which are …
Physisorption of hydrogen molecules in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) provides a promising way for hydrogen storage, in which the van der Waals (vdW) interaction plays an important role but cannot described by the density functional theory (DFT). By using the vdW density functional (vdW-DF) method, we investigate systematically the binding energies of hydrogen molecules in MOF-5 crystal. We first examine the accuracy of this methodology by comparing its results with those from the correlated quantum chemistry methods for several fragment models cut out from the crystal. Good comparable accura…
Graphene is the extreme material for molecular sensory and hydrogen storage applications because of its two-dimensional geometry and unique structure-property relationship. In this Letter, hydrogenation of graphene is discussed in the extent of intercoupling between mechanical deformation and electronic configuration. Our first principles calculation reveals that the atomic structures, binding energies, mechanical and electronic properties of graphene are significantly modified by the hydrogenation and applied strain. Under an in-plane strain of 10 %, the binding energies of hydrogen on graphe…
Hydrogen storage capacity, stability, bonding mechanism and the electronic structure of polylithiated molecules (OLi2) functionalized graphane (CH) has been studied by means of first principle density functional theory (DFT). Molecular dynamics (MD) have confirmed the stability, while Bader charge analysis describe the bonding mechanism of OLi2 with CH. The binding energy of OLi2 on CH sheet has been found to be large enough to ensure its uniform distribution without any clustering. It has been found that each OLi2 unit can adsorb up to six H2 molecules resulting into a storage capacity of 12.…
Strain effects on the stability, electronic structure, and hydrogen storage capacity of lithium-doped graphane (CHLi) have been investigated by stateof-the art first principle density functional theory (DFT). Molecular dynamics MD) simulations have confirmed the stability of Li on graphane sheet when it is subject to 10% of tensile strain. Under biaxial asymmetric strain, the binding energy of Li of graphane (CH) sheet increases by 52% with respect to its bulk's cohesive energy. With 25% doping concentration of Li on CH sheet,the gravimetric density of hydrogen storage is found to reach up to …
We investigate the binding of single and quadruple hydrogen molecules on a positively charged Ca ion. By comparing with benchmark quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) calculations we demonstrate wide variability in other more approximate electronic structure methods including common density functionals. Single determinant QMC calculations find no binding at short range by approximately 0.1 eV for the quadruple hydrogen molecule case, for a fixed hydrogen bond length of 0.77 Angstrom. Density functional calculations using common functionals such a LDA and B3LYP differ substantially from the QMC binding cu…
We use a combination of ab initio calculations and statistical mechanics to investigate the substitution of Li+ for Mg2+ in magnesium hydride (MgH2) accompanied by the formation of hydrogen vacancies with positive charge (with respect to the original ion at the site). We show here that the binding energy between dopants and vacancy defects leads to a significant fraction of trapped vacancies and therefore a dramatic reduction of the number of free vacancies available for diffusion. The concentration of free vacancies initially increases with dopant concentration, but reaches a maximum at aroun…
The energy demands for the growing development of society need to be catered with alternative and green fuels like hydrogen energy for a lasting and sustainable culture. One essential component of the hydrogen economy is the efficiency of its storage. We have studied the hydrogen-storage capability on a recently synthesized Biphenylene (BPh) decorated with Sc using the first-principles density functional theory (DFT) and ab-initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) techniques. Scandium attaches BPh sheet strongly with binding energy -3.84 eV, and single Sc decorated on BPh can absorb a maximum of five …
The increase in threats from global warming due to the consumption of fossil fuels requires our planet to adopt new strategies to harness the inexhaustible sources of energy. Hydrogen is an energy carrier which holds tremendous promise as a new renewable and clean energy option. Hydrogen is a convenient, safe, versatile fuel source that can be easily converted to a desired form of energy without releasing harmful emissions. However, no materials was found satisfy the desired goals and hence there is hunt for new materials that can store hydrogen reversibly at ambient conditions. In this chapte…
Strain effects on the stabilization of Al ad-atom on graphene oxide(GO)nanosheet as well as its implications for NH3 storage have been investigated using first-principles calculations.The binding energy of Al ad-atom on GO is found to be a false indicator of its stability.Tensile strain is found to be very effective in stabilizing the Al ad-atom on GO.It strengthens the C-O bonds through an enhanced charge transfer from C to O atoms. Interestingly,C-O bond strength is found to be the correct index for Al's stability.Optimally strained Al-functionalized GO binds up to 6 NH3 molecules,while it b…
We have studied the microscopic dynamics of hydrogen adsorbed to bundles of single walled carbon nanotubes using inelastic neutron scattering. Evidence is obtained for much higher storage capacities in chemically treated compared to as prepared material. This indicates an additional adsorption layer inside the tubes. Well pronounced excitations in the H2 spectrum at low energies confirm this conclusion. The desorption of hydrogen is monitored in real time as a function of temperature. Hydrogen storage is highly stable below 150 K in agreement with the harmonic evolution of the hydrogen spectru…
Dispersion corrected density functional theory ($ω$B97X-D DFT) method is used to study the molecular hydrogen adsorption in $Ni_nMg_m$ $(1\geq n\geq 3,1\geq m\geq9)$ clusters. All these clusters can effectively adsorb multiple $H_2$ in the preferred binding energy (BE) range between physisorption and chemisorption, i.e., $0.1 eV\geq BE \geq0.8 $eV. $H_2$ adsorption on $Ni_kMg_k$ (Ni:Mg=1:1), $Ni_kMg_{2k}$ (Ni:Mg=1:2) and $Ni_kMg_{3k}$ (Ni:Mg=1:3) (k=1-3) clusters shows fascinating behaviours in terms of Ni:Mg alloying ratio and cluster size. In each Ni:Mg ratio, the number of adsorbed $H_2$ in…
We present a first-principles study of geometrical structure and energetics of hydrogen adsorbed on hexagonal single-walled silicon nanotubes (SiNTs). The adsorption behaviors of hydrogen molecules in SiNTs are investigated. The binding energies for the most stable physisorbed configurations are calculated to be less than 0.1 eV. The energy barriers are also investigated for dissociation of H2 molecules. Finally, we consider encapsulation of H2 molecules in SiNTs. The possibility of SiNTs as hydrogen storage materials is discussed.
Titanium borates show promissing hydrogen storage characteristics. Structural relaxation around individual hydrogen atoms and the binding energies are studied by means of the density functional theory methods for a number of hydrogenated TiB2, TiB and Ti2B structures. Starting with the possible symmetric hydrogen sites a random structure searching has been performed, in addition to locate all energetically stable adsorption sites. It is shown that for the three bulk compounds considered, the lowest binding energies are obtained for TiB2 (in the 0.3-1.8 eV range), the largest for Ti2B (in the 3…
A good hydrogen storage material should adsorb hydrogen in high concentrations and with optimal binding energies. Numerous mixed carbon boron fullerenes which are decorated with metal atoms were previously constructed by hand and proposed as a promising material in this context. We present a fully ab-initio, unbiased structure search in the configurational space of decorated C48B12 and find that most of the hitherto postulated ground state structures are not ground states. We determine the energetically lowest configurations for Be, Ca, Li and Sc decorated C48B12 clusters.
Magnesium and its alloys are the most investigated materials for solid-state hydrogen storage in the form of metal hydrides, but there are still unresolved problems with the kinetics and thermodynamics of hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of this group of materials. Severe plastic deformation (SPD) methods, such as equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP), high-pressure torsion (HPT), intensive rolling and fast forging, have been widely used to enhance the activation, air resistance, and hydrogenation/dehydrogenation kinetics of Mg-based hydrogen storage materials by introducing ultrafine/nanosca…
By employing the state-of-the-art density functional theory, we report the hydrogen storage capability of yttrium decorated C$_{24}$ fullerene. Single Y atom attached on C$_{24}$ fullerene can reversibly adsorb a maximum number of 6 H$_2$ molecules with average adsorption energy -0.37 eV and average desorption temperature 477 K, suitable for fuel cell applications. The gravimetric weight content of hydrogen is 8.84 %, which exceeds the target value of 6.5 wt % H by the department of energy (DoE) of the United States. Y atom is strongly bonded to C$_{24}$ fullerene with a binding energy of -3.4…
We have investigated the hydrogen storage capabilities of scandium decorated holey graphyne, a recently synthesized carbon allotrope, by applying density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations. We have observed that one unit cell of holey graphyne can adsorb 6 Sc atoms, and each Sc atom can adsorb up to 5 H$_2$ molecules with an average binding energy and average desorption temperature of -0.36 eV/H$_2$ and 464 K, respectively. The gravimetric weight percentage of hydrogen is 9.80 %, which is considerably higher than the Department of Energy, United-States requirements of 6.5 %. …
Pristine graphene is not suitable for hydrogen storage at ambient conditions since it binds the hydrogen molecules only by van der Waals interactions. However, the adsorption energy of the hydrogen molecules can be improved by doping or decorating metal atoms on the graphene monolayer. The doping and decoration processes are challenging due to the oxygen interference in hydrogen adsorption and the clustering issue of metal atoms. To improve the hydrogen adsorption energy in pristine graphene, we have explored the hydrogen storage capabilities of graphene monolayer in the presence of compressiv…
Enhancing Hydrogen Adsorption Ability of MOF-5 with Metal Node Exchange and Linker Functionalisation
Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg（奥尔登堡卡尔·冯·奥西茨基大学）；Friedrich-Schiller Universität Jena（耶拿弗里德里希·席勒大学）；Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM（蒙彼利埃大学，法国国家科学研究中心，国立化学学院）
Density functional calculations of electronic structure, total energy, structural distortions, and magnetism for hydrogenated single-layer, bilayer, and multi-layer graphene are performed. It is found that hydrogen-induced magnetism can survives only at very low concentrations of hydrogen (single-atom regime) whereas hydrogen pairs with optimized structure are usually nonmagnetic. Chemisorption energy as a function of hydrogen concentration is calculated, as well as energy barriers for hydrogen binding and release. The results confirm that graphene can be perspective material for hydrogen stor…
Recently, we have predicted [Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 226102 (2006)] that a single ethylene molecule can form stable complexes with light transition metals (TM) such as Ti and the resulting TMn-ethylene complex can absorb up to ~12 and 14 wt % hydrogen for n=1 and 2, respectively. Here we extend this study to include a large number of other metals and different isomeric structures. We obtained interesting results for light metals such as Li. The ethylene molecule is able to complex with two Li atoms with a binding energy of 0.7 eV/Li which then binds up to two H2 molecules per Li with a binding en…
Unlocking the design of Li-S batteries where no shuttle effects appears, and thus their energy storage capacity does not diminish over time, would enable the manufacturing of energy storage devices more performant than the current Li-ion commercial ones. Computational screening of Li-polysulphide (LiPS) adsorption on single-atom catalyst (SAC) substrates is of great aid to the design of Li-S batteries which are robust against the LiPS shuttling from the cathode to the anode and the electrolyte. To aid this process, we develop a machine learning protocol to accelerate the systematic mapping of …
