The disclosure provides nanostructured composites of graphene derivatives and metal nanocrystals for gas storage and gas separation.

Various embodiments of the invention describe an environmentally stable, and exceptionally dense hydrogen storage (6.5 wt % and 0.105 kg H.sub.2/L in the total composite, 7.56 wt % in Mg) using atomically thin and gas-selective reduced graphene oxide sheets as encapsulants. Other approaches to protecting reactive materials involve energy intensive introduction of considerable amounts of inactive, protective matrix which compromises energy density. However, these multilaminates are able to deliver exceptionally dense hydrogen storage far-exceeding 2020 DOE target metrics for gravimetric capacity (5.5 wt %), and ultimate full-fleet volumetric targets (0.070 kg H.sub.2/L) for fuel cell electric vehicles. Methods of stabilizing reactive nanocrystalline metals in zero-valency also has wide-ranging applications for batteries, catalysis, encapsulants, and energetic materials.

A hydrogen storage carbon material having a carbon structure suited for hydrogen storage and a production method thereof. The hydrogen storage carbon material according to this embodiment includes a carbon structure which has a ratio of an ultramicropore volume to a micropore volume of 60% or more, and in which stored hydrogen exhibits, in .sup.1H-NMR measurement, a second peak at a position corresponding to a chemical shift of from 2 ppm to 20 ppm with respect to a first peak attributed to gaseous hydrogen.

The present application is generally directed to gas storage materials such as activated carbon comprising enhanced gas adsorption properties. The gas storage materials find utility in any number of gas storage applications. Methods for making the gas storage materials are also disclosed.

In an exemplary method, a nano-architectured carbon structure is fabricated by forming a unit (e.g., a film) of a liquid carbon-containing starting material and at least one dopant. A surface of the unit is nano-molded using a durable mold that is pre-formed with a pattern of nano-concavities corresponding to a desired pattern of nano-features to be formed by the mold on the surface of the unit. After nano-molding the surface of the unit, the first unit is stabilized to render the unit and its formed nano-structures capable of surviving downstream steps. The mold is removed from the first surface to form a nano-molded surface of a carbonization precursor. The precursor is carbonized in an inert-gas atmosphere at a suitable high temperature to form a corresponding nano-architectured carbon structure. A principal use of the nano-architectured carbon structure is a carbon electrode used in, e.g., Li-ion batteries, supercapacitors, and battery-supercapacitor hybrid devices.

A method of separating combustible gasses from the pores of carbon black. A method of making carbon black in a reactor is described that results in a high concentration of combustible gasses contained in the pores of the carbon black produced. The combustible gasses contained in the pores are replaced with inert gas to render the carbon black safer to process in downstream equipment.

A carbon composite material, including a plurality of spaced graphene sheets, each respective sheet having opposed generally planar surfaces, and a plurality of functionalized carbonaceous particles. At least some functionalized carbonaceous particles are disposed between any two adjacent graphene sheets, and each respective at least some functionalized carbonaceous particle is attached to both respective any two adjacent graphene sheets. Each respective graphene sheet comprises at least one layer of graphene and at least portions of respective any two adjacent graphene sheets are oriented substantially parallel with one another.

The electronic structure of nanowires, nanotubes and thin films deposited on a substrate is varied by doping with electrons or holes. The electronic structure can then be tuned by varying the support material or by applying a gate voltage. The electronic structure can be controlled to absorb a gas, store a gas, or release a gas, such as hydrogen, oxygen, ammonia, carbon dioxide, and the like.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a graphite powder composite supported by transition metal particles for storing hydrogen, and more specifically, to a method for preparing a graphite powder composite supported by transition metal particles having significantly improved hydrogen storage capacity, by means of introducing the transition metal particles having support capacity and particle diameters which are controlled, of transition metals such as nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), and yttrium (Y), to an oxidized graphite powder that is provided with functionality through a chemical surface treatment.

A carbon composite material, including a plurality of spaced graphene sheets, each respective sheet having opposed generally planar surfaces, and a plurality of functionalized carbonaceous particles. At least some functionalized carbonaceous particles are disposed between any two adjacent graphene sheets, and each respective at least some functionalized carbonaceous particle is attached to both respective any two adjacent graphene sheets. Each respective graphene sheet comprises at least one layer of graphene and at least portions of respective any two adjacent graphene sheets are oriented substantially parallel with one another.