Study of alkali and alkaline earth alanates by inelastic neutron scattering

INOR 938

Alice I. Acatrinei, aacatrinei@lanl.gov1, Monika A. Hartl, hartl@lanl.gov1, Ashley C Stowe, ashley.stowe@srs.gov2, and Luke L. Daemen, lld@lanl.gov1. (1) Manuel Lujan, Jr. Neutron Scattering Center, Los Alamos National Laboratory, MS H805, Lujan Center, Los Alamos, NM 87501, (2) Energy Security Directoriate, Savannah River National Laboratory, Building 999-W, Aiken, SC 29208
Complex hydrides (alanates AlH4- or borohydrides BH4-) are widely investigated as hydrogen storage materials. They have lower formation energy than simple metal hydrides and usually higher hydrogen to metal ratio. However, kinetics and performance still represent the main challenge for the actual application of these compounds as hydrogen storage materials. Metal alanates are inorganic salt like compounds of anions AlH4- stabilized with light metal cations (Na, Li, K, Mg, Ca).The hydrogen is located at the corners of a tetrahedron with the metal in the center. Metal hydrides formation occurs exothermically and hydrogen desorption can be achieved under certain temperature and pressure conditions. We examined the complex light metal hydrides Mx+(AlH4)x- [M = Na, Li, K, Mg, Ca] by means of inelastic neutron scattering at 10 K. Despite different structures, the vibrational spectra present similar features which are discussed.
 

Spectroscopy of Inorganic Systems
9:00 AM-11:20 AM, Thursday, August 23, 2007 BCEC -- 211, Oral

Division of Inorganic Chemistry

The 234th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19-23, 2007