Hydrogen Storage Technologies

Chapter 9Hydrogen Adsorption on Nanotextured Carbon Materials

G. Sdanghi^1,2, G. Maranzana², A. Celzard¹ and V. Fierro^1,*

¹Jean Lamour Institute, UMR 7198 CNRS – University of Lorraine, Epinal, France

²Laboratory of Energetics, Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, UMR 7563 CNRS – University of Lorraine, Vandoeure-Lès-Nancy, France

^*Corresponding author: [e-mail]

Abstract

Porous carbons have received noteworthy attention as gas storage materials due to their highly developed textural properties, ensuring a completely reversible hydrogen uptake and release at the same time. Very high surface areas are especially exhibited by nanotextured carbons. Activated carbons, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, MOF-derived carbons and graphene, among others, have thus been tested as hydrogen adsorbents. However, the different ways of expressing hydrogen storage capacities, and also the different conditions used to measure them, make it difficult to have a clear idea of the real potential for hydrogen storage of a given material. In the first part of this chapter we will present: (i) the essential features of hydrogen adsorption on porous materials; (ii) the determination methods; and (iii) the ways of expressing hydrogen storage capacity: total (or stored), adsorbed, or excess hydrogen. In the second part, we will review the most relevant studies related to hydrogen storage in carbon materials published in the open literature to date. In view of the textural properties ...