PNNL

Abstract

The reaction pathways leading to the thermal decomposition of solid state ammonia borane (AB) incorporated in carbon cryogels (CC) have been studied by spectroscopic methods. The time dependent thermal decomposition was followed by in situ 11B NMR and showed a significant increase in hydrogen release kinetics. Both 11B NMR and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) show new reaction products formed in the thermal decomposition of AB-CC that are assigned to reactions with surface oxygen groups. The results indicate that incorporation of AB in CC enhance kinetics due to reactions with residual surface-bound oxygen functional groups. The formation of new products with surface-O-B bonds is consistent with the greater reaction exothermicity observed when hydrogen is released from AB-CC materials. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows different morphology of AB in ammonia borane – carbon cryogel (AB-CC) nanocomposite as compared to neat AB. Support for this work is provided by NSF (DMR-0605159), WTC, and EnerG2 LLC as well as the DoE Center of Excellence in Chemical Hydrogen Storage funded by the DOE H2 Program. FTIR experiments were performed in Professor Zhang’s lab in MSE department at UW. Part of this research was performed in the William R. Wiley Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, located at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which is operated by the Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy.