Ti-doped NaAlH4 as a hydrogen-storage material – preparation by Ti-catalyzed hydrogenation of aluminum powder in conjunction with sodium hydride

Ti-doped NaAlH4 can be prepared in a simple way by hydrogenation of aluminum powder in conjunction with sodium hydride in the presence of Ti(OBun)4 (Bun= n-C4Hg) as a dopant. After a few hydrogenation/dehydrogenation cycles the material reaches a storage capacity of ∼4 wt %H2 and exhibits reaction rates comparable to or exceeding those previously found for NaAlH4 doped with Ti(OBun)4 in organic solvents [Bogdanovic et al.: J. Alloys Compd. 302, 36 (2000)].