How does hydrogen metallize?

How does hydrogen metallize?
July 29, 2013 — Hydrogen is deceptively simple. It has only a single electron per atom, but it powers the sun and forms the majority of the observed universe. As such, it is naturally exposed to the entire range of pressures and temperatures available in the whole cosmos. But researchers are still struggling to understand even basic aspects of its various forms under high-pressure conditions.

Low-cost nanosheet catalyst discovered to split hydrogen from water

Low-cost nanosheet catalyst discovered to split hydrogen from water  Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new electrocatalyst that addresses one of these problems by generating hydrogen gas from water cleanly and with much more affordable materials. The novel form of catalytic nickel-molybdenum-nitride -- described in a paper published online May 8, 2012 in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition -- surprised scientists with its high-performing nanosheet structure, introducing a new model for effective hydrogen catalysis.

Hydrogen power in real life: Clean and energy efficient

Hydrogen power in real life: Clean and energy efficient   hydrogen as a fuel for municipal utility vehicles saves energy, is environmentally friendly and is technically feasible. In order to make it cost-effective,

Researchers create more efficient hydrogen fuel cells

Researchers create more efficient hydrogen fuel cells  "We are very encouraged by our first attempts that suggest that we can create two cost-effective and highly active palladium- and gold-based catalysts -for hydrogen fuel cells, a clean and renewable energy source," Stolbov said.

A basic -- and slightly acidic -- solution for hydrogen storage

A basic -- and slightly acidic -- solution for hydrogen storage   ScienceDaily (Mar. 20, 2012) — Sometimes, solutions for hard problems can turn out to be pretty basic. That's especially true for a team of researchers at the Office of Science's Brookhaven National Laboratory (Brookhaven Lab), where the solution for a hard problem they were working on turned out to be pretty basic…and also a bit acidic.

Hydrogen: A Dream or Delusion? : Greentech Media

Hydrogen: A Dream or Delusion? : Greentech Media Hydrogen.

In green technology circles, just mentioning the word is enough to start an argument.

Hydrogen could become a ubiquitous source of electricity and heat, say advocates. Plus, it’s somewhat prevalent. Hydrogen remains the most abundant element in the universe and every molecule of water contains two atoms of hydrogen.

Breakthrough in nanocomposite for high-capacity hydrogen storage

Breakthrough in nanocomposite for high-capacity hydrogen storage: "Now, scientists with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have designed a new composite material for hydrogen storage consisting of nanoparticles of magnesium metal sprinkled through a matrix of polymethyl methacrylate, a polymer related to Plexiglas. This pliable nanocomposite rapidly absorbs and releases hydrogen at modest temperatures without oxidizing the metal after cycling -- a major breakthrough in materials design for hydrogen storage, batteries and fuel cells."

Cheap, clean ways to produce hydrogen for use in fuel cells? A dash of disorder yields a very efficient photocatalyst

Cheap, clean ways to produce hydrogen for use in fuel cells? A dash of disorder yields a very efficient photocatalyst ScienceDaily (Jan. 30, 2011) — A little disorder goes a long way, especially when it comes to harnessing the sun's energy. Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) jumbled the atomic structure of the surface layer of titanium dioxide nanocrystals, creating a catalyst that is both long lasting and more efficient than all other materials in using the sun's energy to extract hydrogen from water.

Hydrogen cartridges fuel laptops and phones for outdoor enthusiasts

Hydrogen cartridges fuel laptops and phones for outdoor enthusiasts ScienceDaily (Feb. 18, 2011) — How does a Michigan State University scientist fuel his enthusiasm for chemistry after 60 years? By discovering a new energy source, of course.
This week, SiGNa Chemistry Inc. unveiled its new hydrogen cartridges, which provide energy to fuel cells designed to recharge cell phones, laptops and GPS units. The green power source is geared toward outdoor enthusiasts as well as residents of the Third World, where electricity in homes is considered a luxury.

The spark for this groundbreaking technology came from the laboratory of James Dye, SiGNa's co-founder and University Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Emeritus at MSU. His work with alkali metals led to a green process to harness the power of sodium silicide, which is the source for SiGNa's new product.

Materials Today - Putting hydrogen into the framework

Materials Today - Putting hydrogen into the framework Metallocarboranes for reversable hydrogen storage in ambient conditions.

Metallacarboranes can be used as viable natural hydrogen storage materials, say researchers from the US and India [Singh et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. (2010) doi: 10.1021/ja104544s].

Metallacarboranes are clusters consisting of boron and carbon atoms in which one or several BH units are replaced by a transition metal atom to form a cage containing boron, metal and carbon. The remarkable thing is that they are capable of binding hydrogen in a rather unusual way- via the Kubas interaction. While most chemical bonding relies on strong chemisorption involving covalent bonds which are difficult to break or weak physisorption involving van der Waals interactions, the Kubas type of interaction lies somewhere between the two in strength which could potentially change the future of hydrogen storage. Hydrogen storage has long been the focus of many research laboratories but the metal organic frameworks and metal hyrides investigated so far suffer from binding too strongly or too weakly to hydrogen. The Kubas interaction however, provides the right level of binding strength.

The team from Rice University in the US and the Indian Institute of Science in India have used first principle calculations to show that metallacarboranes containing Sc or Ti achieve an average binding energy of around 0.4 eV/H2. This means that they are capable of reversible storage at ambient conditions. Each metal atom can bind up to five H2 molecules and the cages can store around 8 wt % of hydrogen on the metallacarborane cluster, a value which exceeds the US department of energy goals for set for 2015.

Boris Yakobson of Rice University explains to Materials Today why the system is so effective. “The metal organic framework provides a scaffold, and some of its links include transition metal atoms capable of catching and holding H2, yet not too strongly, so it can be released when needed for fuel. Now, to prevent transition metals from aggregating into a blob together, each metal atom must be held, like a gem held in a casing. This is accomplished by placing transition metal atoms in the carborane casings-part of the scaffold of the entire metal organic framework. High porosity of the metal organic framework is important is it allows H2 to enter and leave freely.”

In addition to binding up to 5 molecules of H2 via the Kubas interaction, metallacarboranes can also physisorb more hydrogen within the pores of the frameworks.

As Yakobson says, “If chemists can synthesize this particular framework with metallacarborane as an element, this (hydrogen storage) may become a reality."

Materials Today - Hydrogen generation

Materials Today - Hydrogen generation Extracting hydrogen from seawater to run engines for marine applications.Researchers have developed a method that uses aluminum and a liquid alloy to extract hydrogen from seawater to run engines in boats and ships, representing a potential replacement for gasoline and diesel fuel in marine applications.

Hydrogen fuel for thought: Metallacarboranes may meet DOE storage goals

Hydrogen fuel for thought: Metallacarboranes may meet DOE storage goals ScienceDaily (Sep. 30, 2010) — New research by Rice University scientists suggests that a class of material known as metallacarborane could store hydrogen at or better than benchmarks set by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program for 2015.

How Scum Could Fuel the Hydrogen Economy | Renewable Energy World

How Scum Could Fuel the Hydrogen Economy | Renewable Energy World Brisbane, Australia -- The promise of a Fuel Cell Revolution has come and gone. But don't discount the technology yet: While companies have struggled with cost and reliability issues over the years, there are still plenty of niche opportunities for fuel cells in today's market.

Low-temperature catalyst for hydrogen purification

Low-temperature catalyst for hydrogen purification Engineering researchers from Tufts University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Harvard University have demonstrated the low-temperature efficacy of an atomically dispersed platinum catalyst, which could be suitable for on-board hydrogen production in fuel-cell-powered vehicles of the future.

Hawaii's Great Hydrogen Fuel Experiment : Discovery News

Hawaii's Great Hydrogen Fuel Experiment : Discovery News The Hawaiian island of Oahu is far ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to ushering in a new era for climate-friendly transportation and energy infrastructure. The state’s gas company recently teamed up with General Motors to set up an island-wide hydrogen fuel system by 2015, complete with hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars and numerous fueling stations.

Hydrogen fuel is one of the more attractive energy alternatives to oil: it is abundant and it produces only wate

Hydrogen causes metal to break

Hydrogen causes metal to break: "In the transportation and energy sectors, hydrogen is viewed as an eventual alternative to the raw materials of fossil-fuel power, such as coal, petroleum and natural gas. However, for metals like steel, aluminum and magnesium -- which are commonly used in automotive and energy technology -- hydrogen is not quite ideal. It can make these metals brittle; the ductility of the metal becomes reduced. Its durability deteriorates."

Waste fat from frying fuels hydrogen economy

Waste fat from frying fuels hydrogen economy: "Researchers at the University of Leeds have now found an energy-efficient way to make hydrogen out of used vegetable oils discarded by restaurants, takeaways and pubs. Not only does the process generate some of the energy needed to make the hydrogen gas itself, it is also essentially carbon-neutral."

Ultrahigh Porosity in Metal-Organic Frameworks -- Furukawa et al. 329 (5990): 424 -- Science

Ultrahigh Porosity in Metal-Organic Frameworks -- Furukawa et al. 329 (5990): 424 -- Science
Crystalline solids with extended non-interpenetrating three-dimensional crystal structures were synthesized that support well-defined pores with internal diameters of up to 48 angstroms. The Zn4O(CO2)6 unit was joined with either one or two kinds of organic link, 4,4',4''-[benzene-1,3,5-triyl-tris(ethyne-2,1-diyl)]tribenzoate (BTE), 4,4',44''-[benzene-1,3,5-triyl-tris(benzene-4,1-diyl)]tribenzoate (BBC), 4,4',44''-benzene-1,3,5-triyl-tribenzoate (BTB)/2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate (NDC), and BTE/biphenyl-4,4'-dicarboxylate (BPDC), to give four metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), MOF-180, -200, -205, and -210, respectively. Members of this series of MOFs show exceptional porosities and gas (hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide) uptake capacities. For example, MOF-210 has Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and Langmuir surface areas of 6240 and 10,400 square meters per gram, respectively, and a total carbon dioxide storage capacity of 2870 milligrams per gram. The volume-specific internal surface area of MOF-210 (2060 square meters per cubic centimeter) is equivalent to the outer surface of nanoparticles (3-nanometer cubes) and near the ultimate adsorption limit for solid materials.

The Short-Term Hydrogen Economy: Fueling Fuel Cells from Natural Gas | Engineering Cases

The Short-Term Hydrogen Economy: Fueling Fuel Cells from Natural Gas | Engineering Cases: "As the supply of fossil fuels decreases, it is quite possible that future stationary or mobile energy systems will use hydrogen fuel cells. Natural gas has been proposed as a transition fuel as it is currently plentiful and has an existing infrastructure."

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Industry Breaks New Ground | National Hydrogen Association

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Industry Breaks New Ground | National Hydrogen Association: "Washington, DC—In just the last few days, auto manufacturers, hydrogen producers and fuel cell and component manufacturers have revealed breaking news or new products, creating a wave of energy to open the largest hydrogen and fuel cell event of the year. The NHA Hydrogen Conference and Expo starts Monday, May 3 in Long Beach, CA at the Long Beach Convention Center."