Exploration of the hydrogen storage capacity of pillared nanographite intercalates

该项目是一项可行性研究，旨在建立一种新的储氢材料，即柱撑纳米石墨的可行性。能源研究中更具挑战性的问题之一是找到一种紧凑，安全和轻质的石油替代品，具有类似的能量密度。对于这个问题，有很多不同的潜在解决方案，但氢的使用具有有趣的可能性，因为它承诺了一种清洁，高效和安静的能量存储形式。我们相信，我们已经确定了一类新的材料，柱撑纳米石墨，将能够满足这一需求，也是廉价和环保（可回收）。这些材料的吸氢性能是高度可调的，通过控制层间距，浓度和类型的插层剂，表面电荷，和纳米级的纹理。此外，我们的化合物价格便宜，可回收且环保（不含有毒重金属）。因此，我们要求提供资金，进行一项探索性研究，以确定这些材料的可行性。虽然这是相当投机性的性质，这一项目得到了丰田汽车的大力支持。

This project is a feasibility study aimed at establishing the viability of a new class of material for hydrogen storage namely pillared nanographites. One of the more challenging problems in energy research is to find a compact, safe and lightweight alternative to petroleum that has similar energy densities. There are a large number of different potential solutions to this problem, but the use of hydrogen has interesting possibilities in that it promises a clean, efficient and quiet form of energy storage. We believe that we have identified a new class of materials, pillared nanographites, that will be able to satisfy this need and are also cheap and environmentally friendly (recyclable). The hydrogen absorption properties of these materials are highly tuneable via control of the interlayer spacing, the concentration and type of intercalant, the surface charge, and nano-scale texture. Furthermore, our compounds are cheap, recyclable and environmentally friendly (they do not contain toxic heavy metals). We would therefore like to request funds for an exploratory study that will establish the feasibility or otherwise of these materials. Although it is quite speculative in nature, this project has strong support from Toyota Motors.