LiBH_4 was incorporated into an activated carbon (AC) scaffold using a chemical impregnation method. Confinement of LiBH_4 within the carbon nanopores was found to significantly improve both the hydrogen sorption kinetics and thermodynamics, compared to the bulk hydride. The LiBH_4/AC sample starts to release hydrogen from just 220 deg C, which is 150 deg C lower than the onset dehydrogenation temperature of bulk LiBH_4. The dehydrogenation rate of the LiBH_4/AC sample was one order of magnitude faster than that of bulk LiBH_4. The temperature and hydrogen pressure conditions required for restoring the hydride were also significantly reduced when LiBH_4 was incorporated into AC. Preliminary study showed that the dissociation hydrogen pressure of LiBH_4 could be enhanced by around one order of magnitude upon incorporating the hydride into AC. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption analyses were used to confirm the nanostructure of LiBH_4 in the AC scaffold.
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