On-demand Hydrogen Production Through Aluminum-Water Reaction Enabled by Aluminum Nanoparticles and NaOH Nano-composite Coating

doi:10.1007/s40242-025-5045-5

Chemical Research in Chinese Universities ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (5): 1201-1207.doi: 10.1007/s40242-025-5045-5

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On-demand Hydrogen Production Through Aluminum-Water Reaction Enabled by Aluminum Nanoparticles and NaOH Nano-composite Coating

NIU Yifan¹, CAI Houhao¹, WANG Chongjian¹, HAN Chenglong², TAO Xingfu¹, LIU Kun²

1. Sino-European Institute of Aviation Engineering, Civil Aviation University of China, Tianjin 300300, P. R. China;
2. State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, P. R. China

Received:2025-03-21 Accepted:2025-04-19 Online:2025-10-01 Published:2025-09-26
Contact: NIU Yifan, E-mail: yfniu@cauc.edu.cn;LIU Kun, E-mail: kliu@jlu.edu.cn E-mail:yfniu@cauc.edu.cn;kliu@jlu.edu.cn
Supported by:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21975094, 22225203, 22133002, 22402226), the Tianjin Applied Basic Research Multi-input Projects, China (No. 24JCQNJC00050), and the Civil Aviation Security Capacity Building Funds of China (No. ASSA2022/11).

Abstract

Abstract: The aluminum-water reaction for hydrogen production exhibits significant potential in the energy sector due to its low cost and high hydrogen density. However, the great challenge of controlling the aluminum-water reaction's kinetics hinders its application advancement. This study proposes polymer-encapsulated aluminum nanoparticles (Al NPs) and NaOH nanocomposite coating for on-demand hydrogen production via aluminum-water reaction. By monitoring the coating reaction process using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, the results indicate that fibrous AlO(OH) gradually forms on the Al NP surface during the reaction, eventually transforming entirely into bulk Al(OH)3. Furthermore, by adjusting the size of Al NPs (50—1000 nm), the mass fraction of Al NPs, and the hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of the polymer matrix, the hydrogen production rate can be regulated within the range of 0.08—9.65 mL·s^-1·g^-1. Finally, multiple interval reactions were adopted to verify the effectiveness of water-controlled on-demand hydrogen production. This strategy overcomes the dependence of the aluminum-water reaction on extensive alkali solution, providing new insights for the development of hydrogen production.

Key words: Aluminum-water reaction, Aluminum nanoparticle, Polymer matrix, Kinetic control, On-demand hydrogen production

NIU Yifan, CAI Houhao, WANG Chongjian, HAN Chenglong, TAO Xingfu, LIU Kun. On-demand Hydrogen Production Through Aluminum-Water Reaction Enabled by Aluminum Nanoparticles and NaOH Nano-composite Coating[J]. Chemical Research in Chinese Universities, 2025, 41(5): 1201-1207.

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On-demand Hydrogen Production Through Aluminum-Water Reaction Enabled by Aluminum Nanoparticles and NaOH Nano-composite Coating

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