Many energy researchers believe that hydrogen is the fuel of choice to replace fossil fuels for cars and other vehicles in the coming decades. Storing hydrogen gas safely, though, is a problem.
One promising approach is to chemically combine it with another element to form a solid which can later be broken down again. This can store a very high density of hydrogen in a relatively small volume. However, the hydrogen’s release has to be carefully controlled when the compound is broken down or an explosion could occur.
Now Zhigang Fak, a chemist at the University of Utah, and colleagues say they have found a way to control the release of hydrogen by these breakdown reactions.
They store hydrogen by reacting it with lithium to form lithium hydride and lithium hydroxide, and can later controllably release the gas using various catalysts such as platinum.
The team says the technique could offer a safe, cost-effective and reversible way of storing hydrogen in future.
Read the full hydrogen storage patent application
Justin Mullins, New Scientist consultant