Wax: A benign hydrogen-storage material that rapidly releases H2-rich gases through microwave-assisted catalytic decomposition

2016    Nature, Scientific Reports

Abstract

Hydrogen is often described as the fuel of the future, especially for application in hydrogen powered fuel-cell vehicles (HFCV’s). However, its widespread implementation in this role has been thwarted by the lack of a lightweight, safe, on-board hydrogen storage material. Here we show that benign, readily-available hydrocarbon wax is capable of rapidly releasing large amounts of hydrogen through microwave-assisted catalytic decomposition. This discovery offers a new material and system for safe and efficient hydrogen storage and could facilitate its application in a HFCV. Importantly, hydrogen storage materials made of wax can be manufactured through completely sustainable processes utilizing biomass or other renewable feedstocks.

Publication Authors

Name

Affiliation

S.Gonzalez-Cortes

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology Centre of Excellence in Petrochemicals, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK

D. R. Slocombe

School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Queen’s Buildings, The Parade, Cardif,UK

T.Xiao

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology Centre of Excellence in Petrochemicals, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK

A.Aldawsari

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology Centre of Excellence in Petrochemicals, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK

B.Yao

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology Centre of Excellence in Petrochemicals, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK

V. L. Kuznetsov

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology Centre of Excellence in Petrochemicals, Inorganic Chemistry

Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK

E. Liberti

Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Holder Building, Parks Road, Oxford, UK

A. I. Kirkland

Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Holder Building, Parks Road, Oxford, UK

M. S.Alkinani

Petrochemical Research Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

H.A.Al-Megren

Petrochemical Research Institute, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

J. M.Thomas

Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, UK

P. P. Edwards

King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology Centre of Excellence in Petrochemicals, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
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