Hydrogen storage in Ti, V and their oxides-based thin films

Abstract

We have investigated the hydrogen storage ability and the effect of hydrogenation on structure and physical properties of Ti/V and their oxides-based thin films. A series of Ti-TiO2 and VOx-TiO2 thin films with different layer structures, geometries and thicknesses have been prepared by the sputtering technique on different (Si(111), SiO2, C) substrates. For the Ti-TiO2-Ti films up to 50 at.% of hydrogen can be stored in the Ti layers, while the hydrogen can penetrate without accumulation through the TiO2 layer. A large hydrogen storage was also found in some V2O5-TiO2 films. Hydrogen could also remove the preferential orientation in the Ti films and induce a transition of V2O5 to VO2 in the films.