Enhancement of hydrogen sorption properties of MgH2 with a MgF2 catalyst

Effect of a MgF2 catalyst, prepared by ball-milling, on the hydrogen desorption ability of commercial MgH2 was investigated. When MgH2 was catalyzed with a MgF2 composite, it exhibited good cyclability and sharp faceting, with a small grain size (around 10 nm), which differs from those of pure MgH2. The addition of the MgF2 catalyst suggests that the F anion could significantly contribute to the cyclability of Mg particles and aid in the inhibition of MgH2 grain growth.