Hydrogen storage properties of activated carbon confined LiBH4 doped with CeF3 as catalyst

CeF 3 as a catalyst is first added to activated carbon (AC) by ball milling under low rotation speed. Then the treated AC was used as the scaffold to confine LiBH 4 by melt infiltration process. The combined effects of confinement and CeF 3 doping on the hydrogen storage properties of LiBH 4 are studied. The experimental results show that LiBH 4 and CeF 3 are well dispersed in the AC scaffold and occupy up to 90% of the pores of AC. Compared with pristine LiBH 4 , the onset dehydrogenation temperature for LiBH 4 -AC and LiBH 4 -AC-CeF 3 decreases by 150 and 190 °C, respectively. And the corresponding dehydrogenation capacity increases from 8.2 wt% to 13.1 wt% for LiBH 4 -AC and 12.8 wt% for LiBH 4 -AC-CeF 3 , respectively. The maximum dehydrogenation speed of LiBH 4 -AC and LiBH 4 -AC-CeF 3 is 80 and 288 times higher than that of pristine LiBH 4 at 350 °C. And LiBH 4 -AC andLiBH 4 -AC-CeF 3 show good reversible hydrogen storage properties. On the during 4th dehydrogenation cycle, the hydrogen release capacity of LiBH 4 -AC and LiBH 4 -AC-5 wt% CeF 3 reaches 8.1 and 9.3 wt%, respectively.