Hydrogen storage material, method for producing the same, hydrogen storage tank, hydrogen storage system, and fuel cell vehicle

Abstract

A hydrogen storage material of the present invention comprises a plurality of planar molecular layers stacked, and a particle being inserted into the planar molecular layers to define an interlayer distance between the planar molecular layers. Because the hydrogen storage material of the present invention has a sufficient hydrogen storage capacity, it is possible to realize a fuel cell vehicle capable of storing a sufficient amount of hydrogen to attain a long-distance drive.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A hydrogen storage material, comprising: 
 a plurality of planar molecular layers stacked; and    a particle being inserted into the planar molecular layers to define an interlayer distance between the planar molecular layers.    
     
     
         2 . The hydrogen storage material of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the particle is at least one of an atom and a molecule.    
     
     
         3 . The hydrogen storage material of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the particle is chemically bound to the planar molecular layers.    
     
     
         4 . The hydrogen storage material of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the planar molecular layers are primarily formed of carbon.    
     
     
         5 . The hydrogen storage material of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the interlayer distance between the planar molecular layers, on a condition that hydrogen is stored, is 0.8 to 1.2 nm.    
     
     
         6 . The hydrogen storage material of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the particle is an alkaline metal atom.    
     
     
         7 . The hydrogen storage material of  claim 6 , 
 wherein the alkaline metal atom is at least one of potassium, rubidium, and cesium.    
     
     
         8 . The hydrogen storage material of  claim 1 , 
 wherein a planer molecule constituting the planar molecular layer contains a metal element.    
     
     
         9 . The hydrogen storage material of  claim 8 , 
 wherein the metal element is at least one of scandium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, gallium, aluminium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium.    
     
     
         10 . A method for producing a hydrogen storage material comprising: 
 arranging a planar molecular layer material and a metal material at different places in a vacuum chamber, followed by sealing the chamber; and    controlling the temperatures of the planar molecular layer material and the metal material, independently, to insert a metal atom constituting the metal material between planar molecular layers constituting the planar molecular layer material.    
     
     
         11 . The method for producing a hydrogen storage material of  claim 10 , 
 wherein a planar molecule constituting the planar molecular layer material is primarily formed of carbon.    
     
     
         12 . The method for producing a hydrogen storage material of  claim 10 , 
 wherein the metal material is an alkaline metal.    
     
     
         13 . The method for producing a hydrogen storage material of  claim 12 , 
 wherein the alkaline metal is at least one of potassium, rubidium, and cesium.    
     
     
         14 . The method for producing a hydrogen storage material of  claim 10 , 
 wherein a planer molecule constituting the planar molecular layer material contains a metal element.    
     
     
         15 . The method for producing a hydrogen storage material of  claim 14 , 
 wherein the metal element is at least one of scandium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, gallium, aluminium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium.    
     
     
         16 . A hydrogen storage tank, comprising: 
 a hydrogen storage material including a plurality of planar molecular layers stacked, and a particle being inserted into the planar molecular layers to define an interlayer distance between the planar molecular layers.    
     
     
         17 . A hydrogen storage system, comprising: 
 a hydrogen storage tank including a hydrogen storage material which has a plurality of planar molecular layers stacked, and a particle being inserted into the planar molecular layers to define an interlayer distance between the planar molecular layers.    
     
     
         18 . A fuel cell vehicle, comprising: 
 a hydrogen storage system comprising a hydrogen storage tank including a hydrogen storage material which has a plurality of planar molecular layers stacked, and a particle being inserted into the planar molecular layers to define an interlayer distance between the planar molecular layers.