Metal Decorated B4N4 Nanocages Quantum Dots for Hydrogen Storage: A Comprehensive Density Functional Theory Approach

Metal-functionalized boron nitride nanostructures represent promising platforms for lightweight solid-state hydrogen storage. In this work, we perform a comprehensive density functional theory investigation of pristine and metal-decorated B₄N₄ quantum dots (M = Li, Ti) to evaluate their structural stability, adsorption energetics, and near-ambient storage performance. Pristine B₄N₄ is highly stable but interacts weakly with H₂ (Eads ≈ –0.12 eV), leading to negligible uptake under operating conditions. Li decoration moderately enhances adsorption (Eads ≈ –0.15 eV) but offers limited stabilization beyond the first few molecules. In contrast, Ti decoration fundamentally reshapes the interaction landscape, strengthening electrostatic, polarization, and dispersion contributions and enabling significantly stronger yet reversible H₂ binding (Eads ≈ –0.36 eV). Sequential adsorption calculations predict maximum of 14, 18, and 20 H₂ molecules for pristine, Li-, and Ti-decorated systems, respectively. Ti–B₄N₄ retains nearly its full loading at 30 bar and 298 K, while pristine and Li-decorated clusters store only negligible amounts. Under desorption conditions (3 bar, 373 K), Ti–B₄N₄ releases most of its stored hydrogen, yielding an exceptional reversible capacity of 15.1 wt%. Energy decomposition analysis attributes this performance to cooperative electrostatic, polarization, and dispersion enhancements. Ti-functionalized B₄N₄ thus emerges as a highly promising candidate for next-generation hydrogen storage materials.