Synthesis and hydrogen storage performance of Al2O3 nanoparticle decorated functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Al2O3@f-MWCNTs)

Abstract

Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Institute of Science, GITAM (Deemed Univer sity), Visakhapatnam-530 045, Andhra Pradesh, India E-mail: [email protected] Manuscript received online 02 December 2018, revised 30 January 2019, accepted 31 January 2019 Al₂O₃ nanoparticle decorated functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (Al₂O₃@f-MWCNTs) have been synthesized to examine the hydrogen storage performance at non-cryogenic temperatures and moderate pressures for green energy applications. The experimental conditions such as solvent medium and metal content have been tuned to improve the decoration of Al₂O₃ nanoparticles on the surface of carboxylate-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (COOH-MWCNTs/fMWCNTs). The morphology, surface properties and structure of compounds were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), FT-IR and powder X-ray diffraction. The hydrogen uptake of materials was examined by High Pressure Gas Adsorption System at non-cryogenic temperatures i.e. 253 K and 298 K up to 70 bar pressure. Al₂O₃@f-MWCNTs prepared in water, triethylamine and DMF adsorbed 0.46, 0.55 and 0.67 wt% of hydrogen at 253 K and 0.17, 0.31 and 0.46 wt% of hydrogen at 298 K, respectively. The higher uptake of hydrogen by Al₂O₃@f-MWCNTs prepared in DMF is due to uniform loading of metal nanoparticles on the surface of carbon nanotubes.