Generation of core–shell nanoparticles Al@Ti by laser ablation in liquid for hydrogen storage

Highlights: • Core–shell Al@Ti NPs are generated by laser ablation in isopropanol. • Isopropanol was saturated with molecular hydrogen. • The composite metallic Al-Ti target was used. • HR TEM characterization shows that Ti core is covered by epitaxial Al shell. • Al@Ti NPs are promising for hydrogen storage. - Abstract: Core–shell Al@Ti nanoparticles are generated by ablation of a composite Ti–Al target in liquid isopropanol saturated with molecular hydrogen using a Nd:YAG laser with pulse duration of 10 ps and repetition rate of 200 kHz. The target is made of two plates of corresponding metals stacked together and placed into a flowing cell reactor. Transmission Electron Microscopy analysis of generated NPs reveals their core–shell structure with Ti core and Al shell. Average size of NPs determined by means of measuring disk centrifuge is around 40 nm. Saturation of NPs by hydrogen is due to sharp dependence of its solubility in these metals on temperature. XRD studies of generated NPs show the peaks of both metallic Ti and Al with some amount of TiO₂. No peaks of Ti–Al alloys are observed