Regeneration and Hydrolysis of New Borohydride Ionic Liquids for Hydrogen Storage

Objective

The world faces an energy crisis due to heavy fossil fuel use, a major driver of global warming. A sustainable shift is urgently needed. Green hydrogen is central to this transition, offering cost-effective, sustainable energy and supporting the goal of zero carbon emissions by 2050. The way we produce hydrogen and store, supply, and regenerate those storage materials makes it cost-effective. Hydrogen storage and regeneration are currently at the forefront of research efforts, and chemical hydrides, specifically sodium borohydride, are one of the promising materials for it. This is due to borohydride ions, which provide high hydrogen density, stable handling, and controlled release characteristics. However, its practical implications face issues like low regeneration yield, high regeneration cost, and clogged pipes during hydrolysis and hydrogen release because of byproduct precipitation. Due to the designer nature of ionic liquids, they have been eye-catching in various research areas, from material to biology. The properties of ionic liquids can be adjustable by varying the cation and anion combinations. ReHydroBILs aims to (i) replace the metal cation of solid sodium borohydride with a molecular cation, resulting in ionic liquids that generate hydrogen by using the photothermal method, and to (ii) regenerate these ionic liquids electrochemically with high yield - a potential breakthrough that could have a significant global impact. To accomplish this objective, we plan to leverage the host group's expertise, knowledge, and network in chemical hydride hydrogen storage and the fellow's proficiency, especially in ionic liquid materials, within the state-of-the-art framework of the proposed project. This will facilitate sustainable materials and innovative approaches and create an ideal research environment for the fellow to gain insights and advance their career.