Lithium decorated C3N as high capacity reversible hydrogen storage
material: Insights from density functional theory simulations
Abstract
Lithium-decorated (Li-decorated) C3N has been investigated as a
potential material for high capacity reversible hydrogen storage. The
energetic stability, dynamical stability and thermal stability were
studied, indicating that C3N is energetically stable, imaginary
frequencies are not found from the result of phonon spectrum
calculation, and the free energy vibrates slightly around -64.63 eV
during the 5000 fs period and no structure reconstruction. Electronic
properties showed the band gaps are 0.39 eV and 1.12 eV, via PBE and HSE
calculations, respectively. The four probable Li-adsorbed sites were
calculated, indicating that the hollow site above the center of a
hexagon ring HC site is the most likely site to absorb Li atom. Hydrogen
molecules were added one by one to research the maximum hydrogen
gravimetric density. Each Li atom can attach 10 hydrogen molecules
within the range of physical adsorption processes (-0.1
~ -0.4 eV/H2) and the hydrogen storage capacity can
reach 8.81 wt%. Li-decorated C3N shows the greatest potential for
on-board reversible solid-state hydrogen molecule storage application.