Single-step preparation and hydrogenation of single walled carbon nanotubes-titanium dioxide composite

• New attempt of hydrogen storage in SWCNTs-TiO2 composite is made by EB technique.
• Hydrogenation has been done during the preparation of storage medium itself.
• The storage capacity is found to be 3.2 wt.% and the system is stable at RT.
• The system exhibits 100% desorption in the temperature range of 120–215 °C.
• The nature of binding of hydrogen is found to be weak chemisorption.

The composite material made up of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and metal oxide nanostructures have been investigated for hydrogen storage application. The present experimental work deals with the investigation of hydrogen storage in single walled carbon nanotubes-titanium dioxide (SWCNTs-TiO2) composite. The SWCNTs-TiO2 composite has been made by depositing the pellet containing the mixture of SWCNTs and TiO2 using electron beam (EB) evaporation technique in hydrogen ambient. The preparation and hydrogenation of the SWCNTs-TiO2 composite have been done in a single-step. The characterization results expose that the deposition of SWCNTs with TiO2 material is possible using EB evaporation technique without any significant structural decomposition of SWCNTs. The amount of hydrogen incorporated is found to be 3.2 wt.%, and it is attributed to both the synergetic action of SWCNTs-TiO2 nanostructures and the method of preparation. The stored hydrogen is found to be released completely in the temperature range of 120–215 °C.