Pillared carbons consisting of silsesquioxane bridged graphene layers for hydrogen storage materials

Various pillared carbons consisting of silsesquioxane bridged graphene layers were prepared from the pyrolysis of silylated graphite oxides. Pillared carbons with interlayer spacings of 1.34–1.6 nm were obtained when prepared from graphite oxide silylated with alkyltrichlorosialne and then with methyltrichlorosilane. The graphene layers of pillared carbons were not well ordered when it was obtained from graphite oxide silylated with alkyltrichlorosialne and then with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. The hydrogen excess adsorption of pillared carbons at ambient temperature reached 0.6 wt% and showed relatively high total hydrogen storage of 14 g/L at 20 MPa. Moreover, pillared carbon obtained from graphite oxide repeatedly silylated with methyltrichlorosilane showed a high adsorption heat of 8–11 kJ/mol.

► Microporous pillared carbons are synthesized from various silylated graphite oxide. ► Hydrogen storage capacity on pillared carbons reached 0.6 wt%. ► Pillared carbon showed high heat of adsorption of 8–11 kJ/mol.