Hydrogen storage behaviors of porous carbons derived from poly(vinylidene fluoride)

Porous carbons were derived from poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) by thermal decomposition at various carbonization temperatures. The temperature was found to influence the development of porosity for H₂ storage. The PVDF-derived porous carbon (PPC) materials had higher specific surface areas (up to 1110 m² g⁻¹ and a range of pore sizes (0.58–0.68 nm) in the micropore range. The textural properties of the porous carbons depend strongly on their thermal decomposition parameters, particularly the carbonization temperature. The PPC samples showed hydrogen storage capacities of up to 2.02 wt.% at 1 bar and 77 K. The textural properties of the PPC samples such as the specific surface area, pore size, and pore volume are key factors in improving their hydrogen storage capacity.