First principles exploration of high hydrogen storage capacity of lithium-based perovskite hydrides
摘要
The search for efficient solid-state hydrogen storage materials is essential for advancing clean energy technologies. In this work, Li-based perovskite hydrides (LiBH3, LiCuH3, LiMgH3, and LiSiH3) are studied using first-principles calculations. All compounds show negative formation energies, indicating thermodynamic stability. LiBH3, LiCuH3, and LiMgH3 are dynamically stable, while LiSiH3 is unstable due to imaginary phonon modes. Mechanical analysis confirms stability for all systems, with LiCuH3 and LiMgH3 showing higher rigidity. Electronic properties reveal metallic behavior for LiBH3, LiCuH3, and LiSiH3, while LiMgH3 is semiconducting with a 2.59 eV band gap. Hydrogen storage capacities are 14.56 wt% for LiBH3, 4.11 wt% for LiCuH3, 8.82 wt% for LiMgH3, and 7.95 wt% for LiSiH3. LiCuH3 also shows the lowest desorption temperature (382.7 K), indicating favorable kinetics.
MethodsAll calculations were performed within the framework of density functional theory (DFT) using the Quantum ESPRESSO package. The exchange–correlation energy was treated using the generalized gradient approximation in the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (GGA-PBE) form, and electron–ion interactions were described using ultrasoft pseudopotentials. Valence configurations included Li (2s1), H (1s1), B (2s22p1), Cu (3d9.54s1.5), Mg (3s2), and Si (3s23p2). Convergence tests determined a plane-wave cutoff energy of 55 Ry and a Monkhorst–Pack k-point mesh of 9 × 9 × 9, ensuring total energy convergence within 1–2 meV/atom. Structural optimizations were carried out using the Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS) algorithm with convergence thresholds of 1 × 10⁻6 eV/atom for energy and 1 × 10⁻3 eV/Å for forces. Phonon dispersion, mechanical properties, and optical responses were evaluated using the thermo_pw package integrated with Quantum ESPRESSO.