Graphene Supports for Metal Hydride and Energy Storage Applications

Energy production, distribution, and storage remain paramount to a variety of applications that reflect on our daily lives, from renewable energy systems, electric vehicles consumer electronics. Hydrogen is the sole element promising high energy, emission-free, sustainable metal hydrides in particular have been investigated as materials for this purpose. While offering highest gravimetric volumetric hydrogen capacity all known materials, are plagued by some serious deficiencies, such poor kinetics, activation energies lead operating temperatures, recyclability, and/or stability, while environmental considerations related treatment end-of-life fuel disposal also concern. A strategy overcome these limitations offered nanotechnology, namely embedding reactive hydride compounds nanosized supports graphene. Graphene 2D carbon material featuring unique mechanical, thermal, electronic properties, which recommend its use support hydrides. With surface area, excellent mechanical strength, thermal conductivity parameters, graphene can serve simple complex well RHC (reactive composites), producing nanocomposites with very attractive properties.