Ideally, hydrogen storage materials will reversibly adsorb and desorb H₂ at near-ambient temperatures. Conductive polymers such as polyaniline are promising H₂ storage materials because they can help polarize and store H₂ on the polymer surface. Because they can be synthesized with large surfaces, they have the potential for increasing the H₂ storage capacity of pressurized and or cooled hydrogen storage tanks.
The research proposed for this seed grant builds on our proof-of-concept finding, that we can reversibly adsorb H₂ on composite materials based on polyaniline (PANI)-based conductive polymers (CPs). The project will develop a fundamental understanding of how conductive polymer composite materials bind and release H₂ by examining. We will tune polymer properties and measure H₂ capture and release thermodynamics and kinetics to develop structure-property relationships for the composite materials.
These studies will give us a foundational understanding of H₂ storage capacity and dynamics for these polymer systems, guiding our development of new materials, while establishing a new cross-college interdisciplinary collaboration between Chemistry (Elacqua) and Chemical Engineering (Chandler). Our proposed efforts will develop innovative hydrogen storage and transport technologies, with the seed grant helping establish preliminary structure/activity relationships with respect to polymer design.
Preliminary experimental findings from this work will be expanded in post-seed grant efforts, wherein we aim to add computational expertise to the team to enable in-depth studies into the polymer structure and redox chemistry. The combination of computational and experimental studies will provide deep insight into the electronic and structural factors controlling H₂storage on polymers. This understanding will dramatically expand our knowledge of H₂ stabilization and transfer, enabling future material development.
