Influence of quantum effects on the physisorption of molecular hydrogen in model carbon foams

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Aliezer Martinez Mesa - , University of Havana (Author)
  • Sergey Yurchenko - , TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • S. Patchkovskii - , National Research Council of Canada (Author)
  • Thomas Heine - , Jacobs University Bremen (Author)
  • Gotthard Seifert - , Chair of Theoretical Chemistry (Author)

Abstract

The physisorption of molecular hydrogen in model carbon foams has been investigated from 50K to room temperature. The study is carried out within the framework of the density functional theory for quantum liquids at finite temperatures. Calculations are performed in the grand canonical ensemble, i.e., the adsorbed fluid is assumed to be in equilibrium with an external gas of hydrogen molecules with concentrations ranging from 8 × 10 -4 kgm -3 to n=71kgm -3. It is shown that, while strong zero-point energy effects are present even at room temperature, the adsorption isotherms exhibit only a weak dependence on the explicit incorporation of the bosonic exchange symmetry of hydrogen molecules. The increase of the average particle density prevents the deviations from the Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics to become noticeable if the system is cooled down. The volumetric storage capacity of these materials at low temperatures is about one half of the U. S. Department of Energy goal, while the gravimetric capacity is still far from the standards required by mobile applications. The relation between the microscopic structure of the hydrogen fluid and the calculated adsorption properties is also addressed.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number214701
JournalJournal of Chemical Physics
Volume135
Issue number21
Publication statusPublished - 7 Dec 2011
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 83455177070

Keywords

Keywords

  • adsorption, cooling, density functional theory, foams, carbon, hydrogen, quantum statistical mechanics