Advanced Carbon-Based Composite for High-Performance Electrochemical Hydrogen Storage in Clean Energy Systems

Hydrogen storage technology has become one of the fundamental pillars for the advancement of sustainable energy systems and the emerging hydrogen economy. In the present study, a multifunctional carbon-based hybrid material composed of Vulcan XC-۷۲ carbon, silver nanoparticles (Ag), cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄), and polyaniline (PANI) was successfully developed to enhance electrochemical hydrogen storage behavior under ambient operating conditions. The composite structure was synthesized via an integrated approach involving hydrothermal processing, in situ chemical reduction, and oxidative polymerization, leading to the formation of a highly porous and electrically conductive framework with abundant active sites and reinforced interfacial interactions. Structural, morphological, and physicochemical investigations confirmed the homogeneous incorporation of metallic, oxide, and polymeric phases throughout the carbon matrix and verified the formation of a stable interconnected architecture. The incorporation of Ag nanoparticles and Co₃O₄ significantly facilitated catalytic hydrogen dissociation and spillover phenomena, while the conductive PANI network improved proton mobility and electron transport within the structure. In addition, the porous Vulcan carbon framework provided large accessible surface area and effective diffusion pathways for hydrogen adsorption and electrochemical reactions. Electrochemical analyses performed in alkaline electrolyte at room temperature demonstrated a remarkably high discharge capacity of ۶۹۴۴ mAh g⁻¹, corresponding to approximately ۲۶.۴ wt% hydrogen storage capacity. This value was substantially higher than those obtained for pristine VC, VC/Ag, and VC/Ag/Co₃O₄ samples, highlighting the strong synergistic interactions among the hybrid components. Furthermore, the developed material exhibited excellent electrochemical reversibility, enhanced cyclic stability, and improved hydrogen uptake performance under near-ambient conditions. The findings of this study demonstrate an effective strategy for designing advanced multifunctional materials for next-generation electrochemical hydrogen storage systems applicable to clean energy and petrochemical technologies.

کلیدواژه ها:

Hydrogen storage Technology ، Nanocomposite ، polymer ، Clean fuel