Computational design of novel MAX phase alloys as potential hydrogen storage media combining first principles and cluster expansion methods

Abstract

Finding a suitable material for hydrogen storage under ambient atmospheric conditions is challenging for material scientists and chemists. In this work, using a first principles based cluster expansion approach, the hydrogen storage capacity of the Ti₂AC (A = Al, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) MAX phase and its alloys was studied. We found that hydrogen is energetically stable in Ti–A layers in which the tetrahedral site consisting of one A atom and three Ti atoms is energetically more favorable for hydrogen adsorption than other sites in the Ti-A layer. Ti₂CuC has the highest hydrogen adsorption energy than other Ti₂AC phases. We find that the 83.33% Cu doped Ti₂Al_xCu_1−xC alloy structure is both energetically and dynamically stable and can store 3.66 wt% hydrogen under ambient atmospheric conditions, which is higher than that stored by both Ti₂AlC and Ti₂CuC phases. These findings indicate that the hydrogen capacity of the MAX phase can be significantly improved by doping an appropriate atom species.