Microporous hybrid composites for hydrogen storage devices in aerospace and automotive applications

Hydrogen is one of the most promising alternative energy vectors that can potentially replace fossil fuels primarily to meet the UK net zero target by 2050. To facilitate the move towards hydrogen economy there is an urgent need for the development of an efficient storage system for this ultralight gas. Among a number of adsorbent materials tested recently, microporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown exceptional hydrogen uptake capacity. However, their granular form and relatively poor stability is a barrier to integrate them into practical storage applications. Integrating these materials into porous hybrid polymer composites will enhance processability, and can potentially provide a solution for high-density hydrogen storage systems. There is very little study conducted on composites of highly porous MOFs with a focus on the suitability of the materials in working conditions. This aim of this project is to address this knowledge-gap and to integrate ultra-porous MOFs and polymers in hybrid composites with a focus on studying their properties in working conditions. The main objective of this project is to develop and study composites of high-surface-area MOFs and microporous/mesoporous polymers with enhanced mechanical and thermal properties for the hydrogen storage applications in automotive and aerospace applications.