New Faculty and Student Publication: FitzGerald, et al., Phys Rev B

Stephen FitzGerald and Affiliate Scholar Jesse Rowsell have collaborated with a number of OC students to publish new research findings in Physical Review B. Student collaborators and their anticipated (or actual) dates of graduation are listed at the end of this posting.

S. A. FitzGerald, K. Allen, P. Landerman, J. Hopkins, J. Matters, R. Myers, and J. L. C. Rowsell, "Quantum Dynamics of Adsorbed H2 in the Microporous Framework MOF-5 Analyzed using Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Spectroscopy"

Physical Review B 77, 224301 (2008).

Thanks to Jesse Rowsell for providing this information: "Employing hydrogen as an energy carrier continues to be a lofty goal, with significant technological challenges remaining unmet. Storing the supercritical gas, both safely and efficiently, is a particularly difficult endeavour for vehicular power generation, i.e. using fuel cells. To improve hydrogen storage densities, several classes of sorbent materials have been identified. Only a handful of analytical tools are currently available to assist scientists in understanding the interaction between H2 and these materials, some requiring very expensive instrumentation and limited resources, such as nuclear reactors.

"Our work involves the use of a compact infrared spectrometer equipped with a sample chamber that can be pressurized with hydrogen gas and cooled to temperatures approaching 10 K (-263°C). Under these conditions, hydrogen molecules stick to the surface of the sorbent material and their rotational and vibrational motion--which is quantum mechanical--can be analyzed. Ultimately, the spectral data provide information on the strength of the H2 binding at discrete sites on the material's surface, allowing an assessment of its performance. As we analyze a wider array of sorbents, correlations between their structures and properties should emerge, providing some direction for enhancing their hydrogen storage efficiencies."

Student collaborators:
Jesse Hopkis 2009
Patrick Landreman 2008
John Matters 2008
Kelty Allen 2007
Ross Myers 2007