Hydrogen Storage on Activated Carbons from Avocado Biomass Residues: Synthesis Route Assessment, Surface Properties and Multilayer Adsorption Modeling

This manuscript reports the preparation, surface characterization, and modeling of chars and activated carbons obtained from avocado biomass for hydrogen storage. Activated carbons were prepared from avocado biomass via the following stages: (a) pyrolysis of avocado biomass, (b) impregnation of the avocado-based char using an aqueous lithium solution, and (c) thermal activation of lithium-loaded avocado char. The synthesis conditions of char and activated carbon samples were tailored to maximize their hydrogen adsorption properties at 77 K, where the impact of both pyrolysis and activation conditions was assessed. The hydrogen storage mechanism was discussed based on computational chemistry calculations and multilayer adsorption simulation. The modelling focuses on the analysis of the saturation of activated carbon active sites via the adsorption of multiple hydrogen molecules. The results showed that the activated carbon samples displayed adsorption capacities higher than their char counterparts by 71–91% because of the proposed activation protocol. The best activated carbon obtained from avocado residues showed a maximum hydrogen adsorption capacity of 142 cm3/g, and its storage performance can compete with other carbonaceous adsorbents reported in the literature. The hydrogen adsorption mechanism implied the formation of 2–4 layers on activated carbon surface, where physical interactions via oxygenated functionalities played a relevant role in the binding of hydrogen dimers and trimers. The results of this study contribute to the application of low-cost activated carbons from residual biomass as a storage medium in the green hydrogen supply chain.