Thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrogen storage in magnesium hydride: a theoretical study of catalyst-dopant, defect, and size effects

With their high capacity, light-metal hydrides – like MgH2 – remain under scrutiny as reversible H-storage materials. A key question persists: Is there a means to enhance the hydrogen desorption/adsorption properties of this “simple” hydride by decreasing size (e.g., creating nano-sized particles by ball-milling) and/or adding catalyst dopants? Thus, we need to determine accurately both the enthalpy and kinetic barriers controlling desorption, but for realistic, defected cases. Employing density functional theory (DFT) and simulated annealing, we studied initial H2 desorption from nanoclusters and semi-infinite stepped surfaces with and without transition-metal “catalyst” dopants (Ti or Fe). The large 450-atom supercell of the (110)x(1 ̅10) single stepped terrace permits the study of the effects of catalytic dopant with 10 unique dopant sites at step edges, kinks sites, and terrace sites. Extensive DFT-based simulated annealing studies were performed to find the dopants site preference and mechanism for catalyst-enhanced release of hydrogen, with additional detailed understanding from the spin-polarized electronic-structure (density of states) and charge densities. Different kink environments at the stable (110)x(1 ̅10) interface were explored to model the stability of diffusion of H to the dopant before desorption. For the most stable initial and final (possibly magnetic) states, extensive Nudged Elastic Band (NEB) calculations were performed to explore the potential energy surface (desorption enthalpies and kinetic barriers). A moment transition NEB calculation was created whereby each image was initialized to its most stable magnetic state and then images along the transition path were allowed to relax according to the NEB algorithm. This approach provided the lowest energy activation states. Together the DFT-based simulated annealing and NEB simulations determined the enthalpy change and transition-state (kinetic barrier) for desorption (H2 release to vacuum). A