With the increasing energy crisis and environmental problems, there is an urgent need to seek an efficient renewable energy source, and hydrogen energy is considered one of the most promising energy carriers. Magnesium is considered a promising hydrogen storage material due to its high hydrogen storage density, abundant resources, and low cost. However, sluggish kinetic performance is one of the bottlenecks hindering its practical application. The kinetic process of hydrogenation/dehydrogenation can be influenced by both external and internal factors, including temperature, pressure, elementary composition, particle size, particle surface states, irregularities in particle structure, and hydrogen diffusion coefficient. The kinetic performance of the MgH2/Mg system can be effectively improved by more active sites and nucleation centers for hydrogen absorption and desorption. Herein, we briefly review and discuss the experimentally observed nucleation and growth behavior of Mg/MgH2 during de/hydrogenation of MgH2/Mg. In particular, the nucleation and growth behavior of MgH2 during the hydrogenation of Mg is discussed from the aspect of temperature and hydrogen pressure.
Keywords: hydrogen; magnesium; magnesium hydride; nucleation and growth.