Hydrogen Storage by Reversible Metal Hydride Formation

Strengths and weaknesses of the reversible storage of hydrogen by sorption processes of solids are presented for three categories: (i) formation of interstitial metal hydrides of intermetallic compounds reversible close to ambient temperature and pressure, (ii) formation of complex hydrides of metallic and nonmetallic host compounds requiring elevated temperatures for reversibility, and (iii) physisorption of molecular hydrogen at high specific surface area materials at low temperatures. Thermodynamic, structural, kinetic and catalytic, as well as electronic aspects are summarized and commercialized, and potential future applications are addressed.