Hydrogen sorption in phosphorous substituted carbon material

The hydrogen storage capacity of phosphorous substituted carbon material with spherical morphology is reported. The phosphorous substituted carbons are synthesized by pyrolyzing a resorcinol formaldehyde resin, chemically bonded with phosphorous. The synthesis is a polycondensation reaction by phosphoric acid with sodium hydroxide as catalyst. Herein resorcinol-formaldehyde resin and phosphoric acid act as carbon and phosphorous sources respectively. The hydrogen adsorption capacity has been studied by high pressure volumetric analyser and shows high sorption capacity of 2.6 and 2 wt% at 298 K and 100 bar pressure for the phosphorous substituted carbon materials prepared by calcining at 600 and 800 °C respectively. This value is higher than the hydrogen sorption capacity of pure carbon under comparable preparation conditions 0.18 and 0.16 wt% at 298 K and 100 bar pressure, calcined at 600 and 800 °C respectively.