Analysis of pistachio shell-derived activated porous carbon materials for hydrogen adsorption

Developing efficient storage materials is critical for advancing the hydrogen economy. In this study, we aim to utilize plant-based biomass as a sustainable source for fabricating porous carbon (PC) and subsequently employing it for hydrogen adsorption. For the first time, we synthesize highly porous carbon materials from pistachio shells as precursor materials for efficient hydrogen storage. Experiments were conducted to chemically activate pistachio shells using two different agents, sodium chloride (NaCl) and potassium chloride (KCl), at varying ratios. This study evaluates the effectiveness of these chemical activation agents in enhancing the surface area of PC and, consequently, its hydrogen adsorption properties at 77 K. The findings reveal that the specific surface area (SSA) of the activated carbons (ACs) increased with the activating agent ratio, reaching a maximum of 579.4 m 2 g −1 , with a total pore volume of 0.340 cm 3 g −1 . The highest recorded hydrogen adsorption capacity was 4.6 mmol g −1 (1.99 wt%) at 120 kPa and approximately 15.02 mmol g −1 (5.14 wt%) at 5192 kPa. These results confirm that biomass-derived PC is a promising and eco-friendly alternative for hydrogen storage applications. • Unique features of pistachio shell -derived carbon materials for hydrogen storage capacity. • Effect of different chemical activating agents on pistachio shell -derived carbon materials. • Detailed the effect of specific surface area, total pore volume and micropore volume of porous carbon. • Hydrogen adsorption capacity of ∼1.99 wt% and 120 kPa H 2 , and ∼5.14 wt% and 5192 kPa each at 77 K.