Hydrogen Storage Gets New Hope—Economical hydrogen-based vehicles…rechargeable ‘chemical fuel tank’

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.lanl.gov/scat/hydrogen_storage_gets_new_hope

Hydrogen Storage Gets New Hope

Economical hydrogen-based vehicles could result from rechargeable ‘chemical fuel tank’

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In order to overcome some of the energy density issues associated with pure hydrogen, work within the Chemical Hydrogen Storage Center of Excellence has focused on using a class of materials known as chemical hydrides. Hydrogen can be released from these materials and potentially used to run a fuel cell. These compounds can be thought of as “chemical fuel tanks” because of their hydrogen storage capacity.

Ammonia borane is an attractive example of a chemical hydride because its hydrogen storage capacity approaches a whopping 20 percent by weight. The chief drawback of ammonia borane, however, has been the lack of energy-efficient methods to reintroduce hydrogen back into the spent fuel once it has been released. In other words, until recently, after hydrogen release, ammonia borane couldn’t be adequately recycled.

Los Alamos researchers have been working with University of Alabama colleagues on developing methods for the efficient recycling of ammonia borane. The research team made a breakthrough when it discovered that a specific form of dehydrogenated fuel, called polyborazylene, could be recycled with relative ease using modest energy input. This development is a significant step toward using ammonia borane as a possible energy carrier for transportation purposes.

“This research represents a breakthrough in the field of hydrogen storage and has significant practical applications,” said Dr. Gene Peterson, leader of the Chemistry Division at Los Alamos. “The chemistry is new and innovative, and the research team is to be commended on this excellent achievement.”

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An electronic version of the article as it appears in issue 37 of Angewandte Chemie International Edition is available online:

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/122453478/PDFSTART

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