Marvellous metal-organics
A paper co-authored by
Dr Tim Mays in the Department of Chemical Engineering (J Am Chem Soc 2009, 131,
2159-2171) has been selected as one of 2009’s Nature Research Highlights (Nature
2009, 462, 961).
This collaborative research, led by Professor Martin Schröder at the University of Nottingham, shows how nanoporous metal-organic frameworks (see example structure on the right) may be useful as materials to store hydrogen. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous materials with large surface areas that are made up of metals linked through organic groups. They are the focus of research for a range of applications, including hydrogen storage.
The research team investigated which parts of a series of copper-based MOFs were responsible for increasing the hydrogen-trapping ability of the materials. They showed that the shape of the linking groups and of the other chemical groups around the copper atoms were important. Bare copper sites held on to hydrogen the strongest. Pore size also affected how much hydrogen could be stored. One of the team's materials was able to store 7.78% by weight of hydrogen.
Some of the work is supported by the United Kingdom Sustainable Hydrogen Energy Consortium (UK-SHEC, www.uk-shec.org.uk) funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council as part of its Sustainable Power Generation and Supply programme. Dr Mays is Principal Investigator of UK-SHEC.
