Hydrogen Absorption by Nanostructured Carbons

碳基材料通过吸收和解吸氢而显示出巨大的清洁能源储存前景。该项目旨在使用强大的理论和实验方法，通过理解为什么特定的结构应该或不应该吸收氢原子或分子，来解决围绕纳米结构碳大量吸收氢的报道的争议。我们将特别研究和模型插层石墨和纳米管在澳大利亚制造。它们的氢容量将与美国能源部可行的汽车氢燃料储存的6.5%重量目标进行比较。如果能重复地超过这一目标，将是该领域的一大进步。

Carbon-based materials show great promise for clean energy storage through the absorption and desorption of hydrogen. The project aims to use powerful theoretical and experimental methods to resolve the controversy that surrounds reports of massive hydrogen absorption by nanostructured carbons, by understanding why particular structures should or should not absorb hydrogen atoms or molecules. We will particularly study and model intercalated graphite and nanotubes made in Australia. Their hydrogen capacity will be compared to the US DOE target of 6.5 weight percent for viable automotive hydrogen fuel storage. Reproducibly exceeding this target would constitute a great advance in the field.