Expansion of effective pore size on hydrogen physisorption of porous carbons at low temperatures with high pressures

Abstract Hydrogen (H2) has been considered a promising alternative to fossil fuels as a future energy source. To achieve great H2 uptakes through physisorption, an accurate understanding of the pore sizes should be involved. Related studies have reported that micropores ( Q E x c e s s ) at 77 K and 1 bar, however, pores with a diameter up to 4 nm are the most effective pores for high Q E x c e s s at 77 K and 60 bar, suggesting that the effective range of pore sizes that contribute to Q E x c e s s would be widened at higher pressures. This is concluded that the optimum pore size ranges for better H2 physisorption behavior was found to be closely associated with the storage pressures, providing guidance for the preparation of porous materials for efficient H2 physisorption under different storage conditions.