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arXiv · 2506.05481

Transforming Acidic Corrosion and Embrittlement into a Hydrogen-Trapping Cage

Ankang Chen·Jiewen Liu·Zihao Huo·Chuang Liu·Yongming Sui·Xuan Liu·Qingkun Yuan·Yan Li·Guangtong Wang·Bao Yuan·Defang Duan·Gang Liu·Bo Zou
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Abstract

The vision of a hydrogen economy demands efficient platforms to close the gap between sustainable proton sources and solid-state hydrogen carriers. Metal hydrides serve as key carriers, yet their synthesis remains constrained by the energy-intensive use of high-pressure H2, which fragments the hydrogen chain. Here, we overturn this paradigm by transforming two classic degradation mechanisms, acidic corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement, into a constructive materials-design strategy. We demonstrate that synergistic control of these processes in acid enables the in-situ engineering of a "hydrogen-trapping cage" (HTC) microstructure within metals. Composed of a dense defect network, this cage directly captures and stabilizes protons as hydrides under mild conditions, guided by the universal criterion |DeltaPeq| > DeltaPph. Using this platform, we synthesize over 20 hydrides, including challenging targets such as LiH and NaH, and showcase its functional power with a cage-rich titanium hydride electrocatalyst. This catalyst achieves an exceptional current density of 1.07 A cm-2 for nitrate-to-ammonia conversion, attributed to rapid H- transport within the engineered cage. This work establishes a transformative "failure-to-function" paradigm, delivering an integrated platform that unifies hydrogen capture, stabilization, and conversion.

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BibTeXRIS

Ankang Chen, Jiewen Liu, Zihao Huo, Chuang Liu, Yongming Sui, Xuan Liu, Qingkun Yuan, Yan Li, Guangtong Wang, Bao Yuan, Defang Duan, Gang Liu, Bo Zou. 2025-06-05. Transforming Acidic Corrosion and Embrittlement into a Hydrogen-Trapping Cage. https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.05481

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