Synthesis of carbon nanofibers and measurements of hydrogen storage

The synthesis of carbon nanofibers was carried out by catalytic decomposition of ethylene in presence of hydrogen. Bimetallic catalysts, e.g. Fe-Cu or Ni-Cu, were synthesized by coprecipitation, reduction-precipitation and reverse microemulsion techniques and were proven to have a strong influence on the morphology of the nanofibers. The best results in terms of synthesis homogeneity were obtained by supporting the bimetallic catalyst on a high surface area silica support by the “incipient wetness” method. The hydrogen storage capacity of carbon nanofibers was tested in a custom made Sievert apparatus operating up to 160 bar and 450 °C. Several “in situ” activation procedures were experimented, however according to our data carbon nanofibers do not seem a suitable candidate for hydrogen storage. With the purpose of promoting a “spillover” function, 2 wt.% Pd-doped nanofibers were prepared. After loading at 77 bar, a hydrogen storage of 1.38 ± 0.30 wt.% was measured at room temperature.