Economic growth and energy are mutually dependent. There is a growing need for an environmentally friendly energy policy which satisfies the rising global energy requirements while reducing emissions of polutants. Increasing energy requirements demand long term strategy for providing cost effective alternatives to traditional, mostly fossil based energy sources.

The role of hydrogen as fuel looks promising, due to its high energy capacity, abscence of harmful combustion priducts, and relatively simple transition from more traditional fuels. However, major obstacle toward its prospect use remains safe and effective storage.

The aim of hydrogen storage initiative is promotion of hydrogen storage materials research and introduction of hydrogen and renewables in Serbian energy policy. Dissemination of research results in the field of hydrogen storage materials, through formal education, seminars, conferences and workshops, is also the goal of this initiative.

Current experimental activities include enhancement of hydrogen storage properties of magnesium based hydrides induced by ion beams and evaluation of appropriate mechanism of desorption.

Synthesis and modification of hydrogen storage materials by mechanical alloying, milling and ion irradiation (hydrides, amides and imides)

Microstructural characterisation XRD, Particle size analysis by laser scattering, Raman and IC spectroscopy, Neutron Scattering, SEM and EDS.

Thermal behaviour: TPD, DSC

Current activities involves electronic structure calculation if various hydrides and interpretation of obtained results using state-of-art computer codes like WIEN2k, AbInit, Hyperchem or Gaussian.

Physical properties available through electronic structure of periodic crystal structures: density of states (DOS), spatial charge distribution, magnetic moments, hyperfine fields, elastic constants, atomic charges and orbital populations, vibrational and electronic spectra, electrical and moments of inertia, polarisability of molecular structures and clusters.

Structures of interest are hydrides of alkali, earth alkali and transition metals, alanates and borohydrides and some intermetallic compounds.

A.Bassetti, E. Bonetti, L. Pasquini, A.Montone, J.Grbovic, M.Vittori Antisari,
Hydrogen desorption from ball milled MgH2 catalyzed with Fe
Eur. Phys. J. B 43, (2005) 19-37

A. Montone, J. Grbovic, A. Bassetti, L.Mirenghi, P.Rotolo,E. Bonetti, L. Pasquini, M. Vittori Antisari
Microstructure, surface properties and hydrating behaviour of Mg-C composites prepared by ball milling with benzene
Int.J.Hyd. Energy 31 (2006) 2088-2096

A. Montone, J. Grbovic, M. Vittori Antisari,  A. Bassetti, E. Bonetti, A.L.Fiorini, L. Pasquini, L.Mirenghi, P.Rotolo
Nano-micro MgH2-Mg2NiH4 composites: tayloring a multichannel system with selected hydrogen sorption properties
Int.J.Hyd. Energy 32 (2007) 2026-2934

N Novakovic, I Radisavljevic, D Colognesi, S Ostojic and N Ivanovic
First principle calculations of alkali hydride electronic structures
J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 19 (2007) 406211 (14pp)

J. Grbovic Novakovic, Lj. Matovic,S. Milovanovic, M. Drvendzija, N. Novakovic, D. Rajnovic, M. Siljegovic, Z. Kacarevic Popovic, N. Ivanovic
Changes of hydrogen storage properties of MgH2 induced by heavy ion irradiation
Int.J.Hyd. Energy 33(7) (2008) 1876-1879

Lj. Matovic, N.Novakovic, S. Kurko, M. Siljegovic, B. Matovic, N. Romcevic, Z. Kacarevic- Popovic, N. Ivanovic, J. Grbovic Novakovic
Structural destabilisation of MgH2 obtained by heavy ion irradiation,
Int.J.Hyd. Energy, 34(17) (2009) 7275-7282

Nikola Novakovic, Ljiljana Matovic, Jasmina Grbovic Novakovic, Miodrag Manasijevic, Nenad Ivanovic
Ab Initio Study of MgH2 Formation
Materials Science & Engineering B165 (2009) 235-238

N.Novaković, J.Grbović Novaković, Lj. Matović, I.Radisaljević, M. Manasijević, N. Ivanović
Ab initio calculations of MgH2, MgH2:Ti and MgH2:Co compounds
Int.J.Hyd. Energy, 35(2) (2010) 598-608

PhD and Master positions for students who are interested to work in the field of hydrogen storage materials. Both theoretical and experimental research studies are available.


Please contact Dr Jasmina Grbović Novaković for further details.

Student chapter for Serbia is a branch of International Association of Hydrogen Energy. This branch is first of its kind in West Balkan countries. Its purpose is promotion of hydrogen energy and economy among students.

Dr Jasmina Grbović Novaković is Faculty leader (coordinator) of hydrogen Student Chapter for Serbia.
For more information, please contact MSc Ljiljana Matović, president of Student Chapter.

Experiment

Jasmina Grbović Novaković, PhD
principal investigator

Ljiljana Matović, MSc
research associate

Sandra Kurko, MSc
research assistant


Theory

Nenad Ivanović, PhD
principal investigator

Nikola Novaković, MSc
research associate