Boosting H2 storage capability of Er?3 manganite by adding CuO and g-C3N4 in the form of a four-component nanocomposite

Herein, the as-prepared ErMnO3/ErMn2O5/CuO/g-C3N4 nanocomposite is used for H2 stor-age. This product is synthesized during two steps: in-situ synthesis of ErMnO3/ErMn2O5/ CuO (NC-1), and adding g-C3N4 to prepare ErMnO3/ErMn2O5/CuO/g-C3N4 nanocomposite (NC-2). ErMnO3 emerges in the form of ErMnO3/ErMn2O5 (EMO/EMMO) at calcination temperatures <1200 degrees C. Two-dimensional structure of EMO plays a substrate for deposition of EMMO, CuO and g-C3N4. The results show that presence of CuO has no effect on the optical property of EMO/EMMO while adding g-C3N4 affects it and of course the band gap increases by agglomeration of the particles deposited on the EMO. Changing the magnetic properties in every change-step is notable. EMO represents a ferromagnetism character-istic that is altered to paramagnetic when NC-1 is prepared, and NC-2 presents a ferro-magnetism behavior. Furthermore, the results show that CuO and g-C3N4 are used as boosters to increase H2 storage capacity of EMO/EMMO. (c) 2022 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, an ErMnO3/ErMn2O5/CuO/g-C3N4 nanocomposite was synthesized and used for H2 storage. The nanocomposite was prepared through in-situ synthesis of ErMnO3/ErMn2O5/CuO (NC-1), followed by the addition of g-C3N4 to prepare ErMnO3/ErMn2O5/CuO/g-C3N4 nanocomposite (NC-2). The presence of CuO did not affect the optical property of ErMnO3/ErMn2O5, while the addition of g-C3N4 increased the band gap due to particle agglomeration on ErMnO3. The magnetic properties varied in each step, with ErMnO3 exhibiting ferromagnetic behavior that changed to paramagnetic in NC-1, and ferromagnetism behavior in NC-2. Furthermore, CuO and g-C3N4 were found to enhance the H2 storage capacity of ErMnO3/ErMn2O5.