Synthesis and Characterization of a Nanoporous Carbon CMK-3 modified with Iron as new sponge for hydrogen storage

JULIANA M. JUÁREZ; MARCOS B. GÓMEZ COSTA; OSCAR A. ANUNZIATA

Mons

Congreso; 31st International Conference on Surface Modification Technologies; 2017

The aim of this work is to synthesize a nanostructured Carbon CMK-3 modified with Fe in order to increase its capacity in hydrogen storage. The approach that we have followed includes synthesis of nanostructures with the experimental study of its adsorption capacity and storage properties. Ordered mesoporous carbon CMK-3 was synthesized via a two-step impregnation of the SBA-15 silica mesopores with a solution of sucrose using an incipient wetness method. The sucrose?silica composite was heated at 1173 K for 4 h under nitrogen flow. The silica template was dissolved with 5 wt% hydrofluoric acid in order to remove the silica. Fe-CMK-3 was prepared by wetness impregnation using FeCl3.6H2O as source of Fe. A solution of FeCl3.6H2O in ethanol was mixed to carbon solution at ambient temperature. The solution was placed in a rotary evaporator to removeexcess of ethanol at about 333K and 60 rpm. Afterwards, the sample was dried at 373K for 18 h. and was thermally treated in a dynamic inert (N2) atmosphere. The percentage of Fe has been 2 wt% with respect to carbon in the final Fe-CMK-3 material. Porous carbon CMK-3 and the sample modified with Fe were characterized by XRD, FTIR, XPS, BET, TEM and SEM. Measurements of hydrogen adsorption at cryogenic temperatures and low pressures were performed. The nanoparticles of Fe incorporated onto the nanostructured carbon CMK-3 showed higher hydrogen uptake at low and high pressures than CMK-3. (4.5 wt% and 2.2 wt% respectively of H2 sorption at 10 bar and 77 K).