Hydrogen Adsorption Characteristics of Au and Li Decorated Nanowires on Bulk Silicon
摘要
The issue of global warming is a consequence of the utilization of fossil fuels, with ongoing research endeavors aimed at identifying solutions. Hydrogen is regarded as one of the most promising fuels in the search for alternative energy sources to fossil fuels. This study investigates the hydrogen storage properties of silicon (Si) nanowires synthesized by a two-step metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) process and subsequently functionalized with gold (Au) or lithium (Li). The MACE process was repeated for different metal deposition times, etching times and oxidant molarities. Furthermore, the surface of the samples was modified with Au and Li solutions of varying molarities (0.001 and 0.01 mM) at 5 and 15 s intervals. The results indicate that the BET specific surface area of the samples is influenced by the etching time and the molarity of the oxidant. Furthermore, the functionalization of the surface has been shown to result in a decrease in the BET specific surface area. The hydrogen storage capacities of the samples functionalized with Au and Li atoms range from 0.027 to 0.042 mmol.g−1. Based on the current literature, this study reports the initial findings regarding the molecular hydrogen storage via physisorption on porous silicon nanowires functionalized with gold and lithium adatoms, synthesized using the MACE method, at a cryogenic temperature of 77 K and a pressure of 113 kPa.