Nanoparticle nitrogen-doped lanthanum titanate as a MgH2 catalyst to provide enhanced hydrogen storage properties

MgH 2 is thought to be the most promising solid hydrogen storage material because of its high mass hydrogen storage density (7.6 %), in addition to its good safety profile, high efficiency, and environmentally friendly nature. Nevertheless, the actual application of MgH 2 is hindered by its slow kinetic characteristics and high working temperatures. This work reports the successful preparation of N-doped LaTiO 3 (N-LTO) by a straightforward hydrothermal calcination process, followed by doping into MgH 2 to improve its hydrogen storage properties. The incorporation of 7 wt% N-LTO reduced the initial dehydrogenation temperature of the MgH 2 composite to 193 °C, and it was found that the composite rapidly release ∼6.2 wt% H 2 within 5 min at 300 °C. During the rehydrogenation tests, the composite absorbed ∼4.7 wt% H 2 under a 20 bar pressure of H 2 at a low temperature of 50 °C, reflecting a significant improvement in the kinetic performance of H 2 absorption/release from MgH 2 . This improved hydrogen storage performance can be attributed to the increased electron density on the surface of the material following nitrogen doping, which promotes its reactivity. Moreover, the electron transfer taking place between multivalent titanium ions during hydrogenation facilitates breakage of the Mg–H bond, which promotes the dissociation and recombination of hydrogen, thereby improving the kinetic properties of the material.