Outlook and challenges for hydrogen storage in nanoporous materials

What is it about?

Hydrogen storage in nanoporous materials offers the promise of improving upon the conventional methods of storing hydrogen for use as an alternative energy carrier, which include compressed gas and liquid storage. This article considers the current status of research into hydrogen storage in nanoporous materials and discusses some of the future challenges. Topics covered include the characterisation of the amount of hydrogen stored by a material, different capacity definitions, the modelling of hydrogen adsorption, and the design of complete storage tanks and systems.

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Why is it important?

Research into hydrogen storage in nanoporous materials is interdisciplinary, involving physicists, chemists, materials scientists and chemical engineers; each of whom are involved in investigating different aspects of hydrogen storage in these materials. This article provides a broad overview of the field, including a number of important topics, including the development of new materials, their characterisation, and the development of full storage systems. It also identifies a number of different avenues for future research in the field.