Synergistic Dual Heteroatom‐Engineered Superactivated Carbon Unlocks Record‐High Hydrogen Storage via Mg─F Orbital Hybridization
Hydrogen storage remains a critical challenge for sustainable energy systems. Here, a surface functionalization strategy is reported through C-Mg─F ternary coordination to engineer biomass-derived porous carbons with exceptional hydrogen storage performance. Using tobacco stems as precursors, the synthesized Mg-F@C material achieves record hydrogen uptake capacities under 77 K of 4.2 wt% at 1 bar and 9.7 wt% at 50 bar, doubling pristine carbon performance. Multiscale analyses reveal adsorption mechanisms dominated by orbital interactions at Mg-active sites, where H<sub>2</sub> electron transfer arises from hybridization of Mg 2p and unsaturated 3s orbitals, inducing directional polarization of H<sub>2</sub> electron clouds which synergizes with hierarchical porosity (3500 m<sup>2</sup> g<sup>-1</sup> surface area) to enhance adsorption. Combined photophysical analysis establishes a mechanistic framework linking static electronic configurations to dynamic adsorption processes. The material retains structural integrity under pressure cycling and demonstrates universal applicability across diverse biomass. This work provides a generalizable paradigm for designing high-capacity hydrogen storage materials via orbital-level modulation of porous carbons.
Authors
- Changkai Zhou
- Jiehui Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0302-9178)
- Wenguo Xiang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9989-0936)
- Wenji Pi
- Yong Liu
- Jingxu Tian
- Zheng Zeng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4146-1906)
- Liqing Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8297-309X)
- Bo Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0684-7400)
- Zhanpeng Deng
- Likun Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7704-9682)
- Peixin Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5207-3514)
- Peng He (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8684-3978)
- Da Wei
- Shaobin Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1751-9162)
- Hongyu Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5325-9249)
Institutions
- Central South University (CN)
- The University of Adelaide (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Materials
- Published
- 2025-10-21
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202509511
- Primary Topic
- Hydrogen Storage and Materials
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Central South University
- National Key Research and Development Program of China