The discovery by the Leoben scientists that certain plastics can safely bind hydrogen in a chemical reaction and release it again offers numerous advantages. The hydrogen is bound in a stable manner and the storage material used is therefore completely safe.
Challenges for hydrogen storage
Hydrogen is hailed as a clean and efficient energy carrier with enormous application potential, ranging from fuel for vehicles and heating systems to large-scale energy storage. However, current methods of hydrogen storage face challenges in terms of safety, cost and practicality. The discovery made at Montanuniversität Leoben offers a new solution to these problems and paves the way for hydrogen to become a viable and widely used energy source.Innovative process with reactive polymers
The Leoben scientists Mohammadhossein Sharifian, Wolfgang Kern+ (recently deceased), Gisbert Riess and Nikolaos Kostoglou developed a novel process in which hydrogen is "chemically" stored in reactive polymers such as polyvinylnaphthalene.To be precise, it is a catalytic hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reaction that makes it possible to store around five percent by weight of hydrogen in polymers completely safely. In contrast to conventional storage methods, this process offers significant advantages, including increased safety, cost efficiency and ease of handling, and does not require low temperatures. This sets polymer-based hydrogen storage systems apart from conventional storage systems such as metal hydrides and liquid organic carriers," says Prof. Gisbert Riess, describing the new process.
Further development and future research
With further optimization and refinement of the process, further improvements in storage capacity and efficiency are expected. Current research at the Chair of Chemistry of Plastics is focusing on various vinyl aromatic polymers that absorb or release hydrogen at different temperatures and reaction conditions. This research is an important step towards making hydrogen a more accessible and sustainable energy source.The new research results were published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.09.016
