Hydrogen storage of multiwalled carbon nanotubes coated with Pd-Ni nanoparticles under moderate conditions

A type of novel material with a high hydrogen storage capacity was prepared by supporting PdNi₁₈ alloy nanoparticles, which were synthesized by using a new colloid method, on the surface of pretreated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The average PdNi₁₈ alloy particle sizes calculated from XRD patterns were ca. 3 nm, and the high dispersion of these particles on MWCNTs was confirmed by TEM image. Hydrogen storage performance of the composite was investigated under moderate pressure (0.1-1.5 MPa) at room temperature, and a maximum storage capacity of ca. 2.3 wt% was achieved under 1.5 MPa at room temperature, which was much higher than that reported previously under the same conditions.