(2023/10/26)

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A potentially cheaper and 'cooler' way of hydrogen transport
Researchers develop a compound that can store hydrogen energy at room-temperature foran extended period of time

Fukuoka, Japan—In the continued effort to move humanity away from fossil fuels andtowards more environmentally friendly energy sources, researchers in Japan have developed
a new material capable storing hydrogen energy in a more efficient and cheaper manner. Thenew hydrogen energy carrier can even store said energy for up to three months at roomtemperature. Moreover, since the material is nickel based, its cost is relatively cheap. The
results were reported in Chemistry—A European Journal.
As humanity combats the ongoing climate crisis, one avenue researchers focus on is thetransition into alternative sources of energy such as hydrogen. For several decades now
Kyushu University has been investigating ways to more efficiently use and store hydrogenenergy in the effort to realize a carbon neutral society.
"We have been working on developing new materials that can store and transport hydrogenenergy," explains Professor Seiji Ogo of Kyushu University's International Institute for CarbonNeutral Energy Research who led the research team. "Transporting it in its gaseous state
requires significant energy. An alternative way of storing and transporting it would be to'split-up' the hydrogen atoms into its base components, electrons and protons."
Many candidates have been considered as possible hydrogen energy carries such as
ammonia, formic acid, and metal hydrides. However, the final energy carrier had not yet been
established.
"So, we looked to nature for hints. There are a series of enzymes called hydrogenases thatcatalyze hydrogen into protons and electrons and can store that energy for later use, even atroom temperature," continues Ogo. "By studying these enzymes our team was able todevelop a new compound that does exactly that."
Not only was their new compound able to extract and store electrons at room temperature,
further investigations showed that it can be its own catalyst to extract said electron,
something that had not been possible with previous hydrogen energy carriers. The team also
showed that the energy could be stored for up the three months.
Ogo also highlights the fact that the compound uses an inexpensive element: nickel. Until
now, similar catalysts have used expensive metals like platinum, rhodium, or iridium. Now
that nickel is a viable option for hydrogen energy storage, it can potentially reduce the cost offuture compounds.

The team intends to collaborate with the industrial sector to transfer their new findings into
more practical applications.
"We would also like to work on improving storage time and efficiency as well as investigate
the viability of cheaper metals for such compounds, " concludes Ogo. "Hopefully our findings
will contribute to the goal of decarbonization so that we can build a greener andenvironmentally friendly future."###For more information about this research, see "Single-Step Synthesis of NiI from NiII withH2," Chiaki Takahashi, Takeshi Yatabe, Hidetaka Nakai, and Seiji Ogo, Chemistry—A EuropeanJournal, https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202302297
About Kyushu UniversityKyushu University is one of Japan's leading research-oriented institutes of higher education
since its founding in 1911. Home to around 19,000 students and 8,000 faculty and staff,
Kyushu U's world-class research centers cover a wide range of study areas and research
fields, from the humanities and arts to engineering and medical sciences. Its multiple
campuses—including one of the largest in Japan—are located around Fukuoka City, a coastal
metropolis on the southwestern Japanese island of Kyushu that is frequently ranked among
the world's most livable cities and historically known as Japan's gateway to Asia. Through its
Vision 2030, Kyushu U will 'Drive Social Change with Integrative Knowledge.' Its synergistic
application of knowledge will encompass all of academia and solve issues in society while
innovating new systems for a better future.

Fig. 1. Comparing hydrogenases in nature
with the compound developed in thecurrent study. Comparison of thehydrogenase cycle found in nature withthe compound developed in the study.
Hydrogenases extract an electron from asingle hydrogen molecule at room
temperature for use in other biologicalprocesses. The compound developed in
the current study undergoes a similar

Fig. 2. Description of the study. (Kyushu
University/Ogo Lab)

process to store electrons from hydrogen.
(Kyushu University/Ogo Lab)[Contact]
Seiji Ogo, Professor
Kyushu University Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy ResearchE-mail: ogo.seiji.872@m.kyushu-u.ac.jp