The substitution of the complex borohydride anion BH4- in calcium borohydride by the larger iodide anion I- is explored in order to tailor the hydrogen storage properties. Three new compounds are identified in the Ca(BH4)(2)-CaI2 system and are structurally characterized using the Rietveld method and synchrotron radiation powder X-ray diffraction (SR-PXD) data. Calcium borohydride readily dissolves in the trigonal calcium iodide structure during ball milling, forming a solid solution Ca((BH4)(1-x)I-x)(2) with a CaI2-type structure and an anisotropically contracted trigonal unit cell, a = 4.311(1) and c = 6.867(2) angstrom for x similar to 0.3 (T = 28 degrees C), space group P (3) over bar m1. The trigonal tri-Ca((BH4)(0.70)I-0.30)(2) transforms at similar to 180 degrees C to an orthorhombic phase of similar composition, ort-Ca((BH4)(0.64)I-0.36)(2), with a CaCl2-type structure (a distorted beta-Ca(BH4)(2) type structure) and cell parameters a = 7.271(2), b = 7.042(1), and c = 4.4601(7) angstrom (T = 322 degrees C), space group Pnnm. Further heating of the CaCl2-type compound to similar to 330 degrees C leads to a transition to a tetragonal phase with cell parameters, a = 4.1062(2) and c = 24.822(2) angstrom (T = 340 degrees C, x similar to 0.62), space group I4mm. This iodide-rich compound tet-Ca((BH4)(0.38)I-0.62)(2), has a new structure type. The tetragonal phase finally decomposes to CaHI and CaB6 at T > 345 degrees C. All three novel compounds found in the Ca(BH4)(2)-CaI2 system are stable at room temperature. The anion substitution ultimately changes the decomposition reaction pathway in which hydrogen is released from the tetragonal Ca((BH4)(1-x)I-x)(2) via CaHI, but unfortunately the temperature of hydrogen release is still fairly high and similar to that for Ca(BH4)(2).
Rude, L. H., Filinchuk, Y., Sorby, M. H., Hauback, B. C., Besenbacher, F., & Jensen, T. R. (2011). Anion Substitution in Ca(BH4)(2)-CaI2: Synthesis, Structure and Stability of Three New Compounds. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Part C: Nanomaterials and Interfaces, 115(15), 7768-7777. https://doi.org/10.1021/jp111473d (Original work published 2011)