Scientific community has long been fascinated by boron nitride due to its unique properties: sturdy, ultra-thin transparent, insulating and lightweight. Researchers will find boron nitride to be an ideal material.
According to researchers at Rice University a graphene film separated by boron nanotube columns could be used as a material for storing fuel hydrogen in automobiles.

The Department of Energy is setting the standard in storage materials to make hydrogen fuel a viable option for light vehicles. A new computational study by materials scientist Rouzbeh Sharsavari of Rice Lab has determined that pillared Boron Nitride and graphene may be suitable candidates.

Shahsavari’s laboratory determined the elastic and columnar graphene structures by computer simulation, and then processed the boron nanotubes to create a mixture that simulates an unique three-dimensional structural design. (A sample boron nanotubes seamlessly bound to graphene is prepared.

As the pillars of the building provide space between floors for people, so do the pillars within the boron-nitride graphene. The goal is to keep them inside and then exit when needed.

The researchers discovered that the pillared graphene and pillared Boron Nitride graphene have a high surface area (about 2.547 square meters/square meter) as well as good recyclability in ambient conditions. Their model shows adding oxygen or lithium will improve the material's ability to combine with hydrogen.

They concentrated their simulations on four different variants: either a graphene or boronnitride structure with lithium or oxygen doped.

The best graphene at room temperature was oxygen-doped graphene with boron oxide skeletons.

The material's hydrogen weight was 14.77% in cold temperatures below -321 Fahrenheit.

Under moderate conditions, US Department of Energy has set a target of storing more than 5,5% of hydrogen by weight and 40 grams of hydrogen per liter. The ultimate target is 7.5% weight and 70 gram per liter.

Shahsavari explained that the hydrogen atoms adsorb on pillared, boron-nitride graphene when it is not doped. When the material has been doped with oxygen the atoms firmly bind to the mix and create a surface that is better for hydrogen. According to Shahsavari, this can be done under pressure, and then withdrawn when the pressure is released.

He explained that adding oxygen to the substrate would create a strong bond due to the nature of charge and interaction. "Oxygen, and hydrogen have been known to share a strong chemical affinity."

Shahsavari explained that the polarization characteristics of boron Nitride combined with graphene, and the electron mobilities of graphene themselves make the material highly adaptable in application.

Shahsavari explains that "we are looking for the best point", which is the perfect balance of surface area, weight and operating temperature, along with pressure and temperature. "This is only possible through computational modeling as we can test a lot of changes quickly. In just a couple of days, the experimenter is able to finish the work that would normally take months.

He said these structures are strong enough to easily surpass the requirements of Department of Energy. The hydrogen fuel tank, for example, can withstand up to 1,500 charging and discharge cycles.

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