Electrolyte Assisted Hydrogen Storage Reactions

Recipient Liox Power, Inc. (PI: Channing Ahn)

Abstract Liox Power, Inc, together with HRL Laboratories, LLC propose experimental studies to develop complex hydride and multiple component hydrogen storage materials (hydride destabilization), with vastly improved rates of dehydrogenation and rehydrogenation (greater than 10× state-of-the-art) enabling practical use at near equilibrium conditions while retaining optimized thermodynamic properties and high gravimetric and volumetric capacities (over 11 wt% H2 and 90 g/L H2 on a materials basis). Two novel concepts for hydrogen storage will be explored: 1) formulations that include electrolytes to facilitate atomic rearrangement and diffusion thereby reducing activation barriers and 2) reactions promoted by modest electrochemical potentials to supplement the thermochemical (i.e., temperature and pressure based) free energy driving forces that have hindered consideration and implementation of systems based on these materials. Our concepts originate from analogous multiple component Li battery reactions that have been shown to operate at room or near room temperatures. We propose to apply these concepts to hydrogen storage materials for the first time and anticipate that if successful, will pave the way toward more modest system complexity and cost than presently required for high pressure physical storage approaches.