In Situ Ni-Doped Hierarchically Porous Carbon Nanofibers Derived from Polyacrylonitrile/Pitch for Hydrogen Storage at Ambient Temperature

Porous carbon nanofibers doped with nickel (Ni) were successfully fabricated through electrospinning, carbonization, and CO2 activation techniques using polyacrylonitrile (PAN) petroleum pitch as sources acetate the dopant. During process, Ni was reduced dispersed in situ on matrix. The effects of doping content morphology structure systematically investigated SEM, TEM, XPS, XRD, Raman, BET analyses. experimental results revealed that prepared materials had a hierarchically porous nanoparticles played multiple roles preparation including catalyzing pore expansion catalytic graphitization. However, particle agglomeration fiber fracture occurred when high. In adsorption/desorption experiments, sample 10 wt% exhibited highest specific surface area micropore volume 750.7 m2/g 0.258 cm3/g, respectively, maximum hydrogen storage capacity 1.39 at 298 K MPa. analyses suggested adsorption mechanism contributed to enhanced H2 by spillover effect addition physisorption.