title: High-capacity hydrogen storage in lithium and sodium amidoboranes.
abstract: The safe and efficient storage of hydrogen is widely recognized as one of the key technological challenges in the transition towards a hydrogen-based energy economy. Whereas hydrogen for transportation applications is currently stored using cryogenics or high pressure, there is substantial research and development activity in the use of novel condensed-phase hydride materials. However, the multiple-target criteria accepted as necessary for the successful implementation of such stores have not yet been met by any single material. Ammonia borane, NH3BH3, is one of a number of condensed-phase compounds that have received significant attention because of its reported release of approximately 12 wt% hydrogen at moderate temperatures (approximately 150 degrees C). However, the hydrogen purity suffers from the release of trace quantities of borazine. Here, we report that the related alkali-metal amidoboranes, LiNH2BH3 and NaNH2BH3, release approximately 10.9 wt% and approximately 7.5 wt% hydrogen, respectively, at significantly lower temperatures (approximately 90 degrees C) with no borazine emission. The low-temperature release of a large amount of hydrogen is significant and provides the potential to fulfil many of the principal criteria required for an on-board hydrogen store.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542, Singapore.
authors.forename: Zhitao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Chaw Keong
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: Guotao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Abhi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karkamkar
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Autrey
authors.forename: Martin Owen
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Simon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Peter P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: William I F
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: David