NiFe/BC nanocatalysts based on biomass charcoal self-reduction achieves excellent hydrogen storage performance of MgH.

Bimetallic catalysts offer unique advantages for improving the hydrogen storage performance of MgH. Herein, NiFe/BC nanocatalysts were prepared a simple solid phase reduction method using a low-cost biomass charcoal (BC) material as the carrier. The onset temperature of hydrogen release for the MgH + 10 wt% NiFe/BC composite was 184.5 °C, which is 155.5 °C lower than that of pure MgH. The dehydrogenated composite starts to absorb hydrogen at as low as 30 °C and is able to absorb 5.35 wt% of H within 10 min under 3 MPa hydrogen pressure at 150 °C. In comparison to pure MgH, the apparent activation energies of dehydrogenation and rehydrogenation of MgH + 10 wt% NiFe/BC were reduced by 52.89 kJ mol and 23.28 kJ mol, respectively. The hydrogen storage capacity of the composite was maintained in 20 de/rehydrogenation cycles, indicating a good cycling stability. X-Ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) characterization reveal that the formation of multiphases MgNi and Fe catalysts during the hydrogen uptake and release reaction and the transformation of MgNi/MgNiH together contribute to the superior hydrogen adsorption and desorption performance of MgH.