Low Dimensional Nanomaterials for Hydrogen Storage

Abstract

Economic expansion and population growth are the main causes of the growing demand for energy on a worldwide scale. Nowadays, fossil fuels, which are limited and non-renewable, provide 90% of the energy used worldwide. Furthermore, the main cause of greenhouse gas emissions, which have detrimental effects on the environment and human health, is the burning of fossil fuels. Because of this, switching to clean alternative energy sources is crucial. Because hydrogen fuel is sustainable, non-toxic, and emits no pollutants, it has drawn attention from all over the world. Hydrogen has an energy density of 142 MJ/kg, which is more than any other element and almost three times that of fossil fuels. In contrast to the damaging and depleting fossil fuels, hydrogen is plentiful and can be generated responsibly from water and other renewable resources. Effective hydrogen storage is still a significant obstacle, though. Storage procedures are made more difficult by its low gravimetric density (0.08988 g/L). Although hydrogen can be kept as a gas, liquid, or solid, solid-state storage is the most effective and safest option. This technique enables high-capacity storage at low pressure and close to room temperature. While materials such as carbon nanotubes and metal–organic frameworks store hydrogen by surface adsorption, metal hydrides absorb it internally. Recent developments in metal hydrides based on high-entropy alloys, which may be synthesized a variety of ways, exhibit encouraging potential for use in hydrogen production and storage. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.