Mono-dispersed transition metal nanoparticles on boron-substituted carbon support and applications in hydrogen storage

Youmi Jeong, T. C.Mike Chung

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

To prepare mono-dispersed transition metal nanoparticles on activated C supports is a long scientific challenge, due to low graphene surface energy. Few polar functional groups in activated C are only located on the plane edges, which are intrinsically difficult to prevent metal clustering, especially at elevated temperatures. This paper discusses a versatile method in preparing stable and uniform transition metal (Pt, Pd, Ti, etc.) nanoparticles (diameter ∼2 nm), using a newly-developed boron-substituted carbon (BCx) support, containing uniform B atoms distributed in the graphene layer structure, which provides a strong specific interaction; this interaction is formed by d-electrons back-donation from transition metals to the empty p-orbital in substituted B atoms. The BCx support shows good adsorption capacity of metal precursors in solutions, and securing the forming metal nanoparticles during thermal reduction at a high temperature (>500 °C). The resulting Pt/BC12 - with only 0.7 wt.% Pt content - exhibits very high surface activities. At ambient temperature, it offers an impressive hydrogen adsorption capacity at ∼0.5 wt.% per 500 m2/g surface area, which is more than 5 times higher than the corresponding activated C material with the same surface area.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)140-146
Number of pages7
JournalCarbon
Volume49
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2011

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Chemistry
  • General Materials Science

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