%0 Journal Article %J Applied Surface Science %D 2012 %T Enhancing the hydrogen storage capacity of Pd-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes %A Singh, Priyanka %A Kulkarni, Mukta V. %A Gokhale, Suresh P. %A Chikkali, Samir H. %A Kulkarni, Chandrashekhar V. %K Hydrogen based energy sources %K Hydrogen storage capacity %K Multiwalled carbon nanotubes %K Pd functionalization %K PVP capping %X

We demonstrate that the hydrogen storage capacity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes can be enhanced by polyvinylpyrrolidone functionalization. The polyvinylpyrrolidone acts as a stabilizing agent for Pd-nanoparticles, reduces their size and facilitates their uniform and enhanced loading onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes. According to sorption studies, the polyvinylpyrrolidone capping and consequent nanostructural modification enables 2.3 times more hydrogen adsorption than mere Pd-functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Corresponding morphological changes before and after polyvinylpyrrolidone capping, characterized using Raman Spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, TEM and thermal analysis techniques, are also presented. The results contribute towards increasing the efficiency of hydrogen based sustainable energy sources. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

%B Applied Surface Science %I ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV %C PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS %V 258 %P 3405-3409 %8 FEB %G eng %N 8 %3 Foreign %4 2.112 %R 10.1016/j.apsusc.2011.11.075