Researchers from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, including Tatiana Nizkaia, Thomas Solymosi, Paolo Malgaretti, Peter Wasserscheid, and Jens Harting, have published a study in the journal Nature Communications that sheds light on the challenges of hydrogen storage and release using Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHCs). Their work aims to understand and improve the performance of LOHCs, which are crucial for the practical application of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier.
Hydrogen is a promising option for sustainable energy storage and utilization, but its storage and transportation present significant challenges. LOHCs offer a potential solution by allowing hydrogen to be chemically bound and released reversibly. However, recent experimental studies have shown puzzling inhibition of catalytic activity during the dehydrogenation process, leading to reduced hydrogen production rates and variability in experimental results.
The researchers developed a model to elucidate the mechanisms behind this inhibition, considering both the reversible nature of the hydrogenation-dehydrogenation reaction and the role of transport phenomena. Their findings demonstrate that efficient transport of hydrogen away from the catalytic pellet is essential to suppress back-reactions and maximize catalyst performance. The study identifies two distinct kinetic regimes: one with high hydrogen production and another with strongly inhibited production, depending on whether bubble nucleation is enabled or suppressed.
This research has practical applications for the energy sector, particularly in improving the efficiency of hydrogen storage and release systems. By understanding and optimizing the transport of hydrogen away from the catalytic site, engineers can enhance the performance of LOHC systems, making hydrogen a more viable option for clean energy storage and utilization. The findings are also applicable to a broader class of reversible reactions involving volatile products, further expanding the potential impact of this work.
The study, titled “How back reaction and hydrogen transport control the performance of hydrogen release from liquid organic carriers,” was published in Nature Communications, a leading peer-reviewed journal for research in the natural sciences.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.