Hydrogen Storage in Metal Organic Frameworks
Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) ) is a novel family of nanoscale framework materials with tunable porosity. MOFs have been synthesized only in the past few years. Since their discovery, these materials have been considered good candidates for hydrogen storage.
Our research aims to enhance the hydrogen storage capacity of MOFs through doping and functionalization. Multi–scale theoretical studies have been performed to identify the factors that affect hydrogen adsorption on MOFs. This knowledge can serve as the key to further strategic optimization of these materials.
Our 1st strategy is the insertion of point charges in the molecular framework. This can be done by doping the framework with alkali cations, resulting in increased hydrogen storage performance, especially at room temperature and low pressures, as required for most target applications.
Our 2nd strategy is the functionalization of the framework's organic part. This procedure is experimentally more feasible and gives the same impressive results like the 1st. In the figure above it is visible even with the eye the increasing of the absorbed hydrogen in the functionalized MOF.
In both procedures the predicted amount of stored hydrogen exceeded the gravimetric and volumetric targets that have been set for commercialization.
