Tuning the hydrogen desorption of Mg(BH4)2 through Zn alloying
Abstract
We study the effect of Zn alloying on the hydrogen desorption properties of Mg(BH4)2 using ab\ initio simulations. In particular, we investigate formation/reaction enthalpies/entropies for a number of compounds and reactions at a wide range of temperatures and Zn concentrations in Mg1-xZnx(BH4)2. Our results show that the thermodynamic stability of the resulting material can be significantly lowered through Zn alloying. We find that e.g. the solid solution Mg2/3Zn1/3(BH4)2 has a reaction enthalpy for the complete hydrogen desorption of only 25.3 kJ/mol H2-a lowering of 15 kJ/mol H2 compared to the pure phase and a corresponding lowering in critical temperature of 123 K. In addition, we find that the enthalpy of mixing is rather small and show that the decrease in reaction enthalpy with Zn concentration is approximately linear.
Turn this paper into a lesson
ArcXiv compiles a structured reading guide from this paper's metadata: plain-English importance, contributions, prerequisite concepts, which sections to read first, flashcards, and a quiz. Grounded in the abstract, never invented.