Chemical storage of hydrogen in few-layer graphene

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1019542108
• Publication Date: 2011-02-01T04:07:07Z
• Authors: K. S. Subrahmanyam; Prashant Kumar; Urmimala Maitra; A. Govindaraj; K. P. S. S. Hembram; Umesh V. Waghmare; C. N. R. Rao
• Keywords: Chromatography, Gas; Hot Temperature; Ultraviolet Rays; Lasers; 02 engineering and technology; Microscopy, Atomic Force; Nanostructures; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Models, Chemical; Spectrophotometry; Nanotechnology; Graphite; Hydrogenation; 0210 nano-technology; Hydrogen

Birch reduction of few-layer graphene samples gives rise to hydrogenated samples containing up to 5 wt % of hydrogen. Spectroscopic studies reveal the presence of sp 3 C-H bonds in the hydrogenated graphenes. They, however, decompose readily on heating to 500 °C or on irradiation with UV or laser radiation releasing all the hydrogen, thereby demonstrating the possible use of few-layer graphene for chemical storage of hydrogen. First-principles calculations throw light on the mechanism of dehydrogenation that appears to involve a significant reconstruction and relaxation of the lattice.