Small-pore hydridic frameworks store densely packed hydrogen.

Nanoporous materials have attracted great attention for gas storage, but achieving high volumetric storage capacity remains a challenge. Here, by using neutron powder diffraction, volumetric gas adsorption, inelastic neutron scattering and first-principles calculations, we investigate a magnesium borohydride framework that has small pores and a partially negatively charged non-flat interior for hydrogen and nitrogen uptake. Hydrogen and nitrogen occupy distinctly different adsorption sites in the pores, with very different limiting capacities of 2.33 H2 and 0.66 N2 per Mg(BH4)2. Molecular hydrogen is packed extremely densely, with about twice the density of liquid hydrogen (144 g H2 per litre of pore volume). We found a penta-dihydrogen cluster where H2 molecules in one position have rotational freedom, whereas H2 molecules in another position have a well-defined orientation and a directional interaction with the framework. This study reveals that densely packed hydrogen can be stabilized in small-pore materials at ambient pressures.

Performance of a full-scale hydrogen-storage tank based on complex hydrides.

Designing and building a full scale hydrogen storage system revealed several engineering challenges and also demonstrated the capabilities of complex hydrides. Three kg of hydrogen was stored in a four module system using modified sodium alanate as the storage media. Extensive testing of this system demonstrated the ability to follow aggressive hydrogen demand schedules that simulate actual driving. Extensive use of detailed models greatly improved the design and eventual performance of the storage system; the test data permitted further refinement of the models.