The development of new hydrogen storage materials with high volumetric and gravimetric hydrogen
densities is essential to implement fuel cell technology for both mobile and stationary applications.
Boron hydride materials involving the combination of H and H during dehydrogenation offer good
hydrogen storage and release properties. Of these compounds, the metal borohydride ammoniates
(MBAs), and, more recently, mixed metal borohydride ammoniates are
among the premier candidates for hydrogen storage materials, possessing high gravimetric hydrogen
storage capacities at relatively reasonable dehydrogenation temperatures However, the highly
endothermic nature of the thermal decompositions (to effect evolution of H2) still requires high energy
input and can yield undesirable side-products such as boranes or ammonia (the latter resulting from
a preference for deammoniation over dehydrogenation). It has been shown that the use of a catalyst
can promote dehydrogenation over deammoniation reactions for MBAs. In order to develop MMBA
materials in hydrogen storage improvements in selectivity, dehydrogenation reaction conditions and
understanding of the chemical processes involved are of significant importance. We propose to
achieve improvements to MMBA dehydrogenation reactions through the development of new
catalytic methodologies to effect the thermolysis and undertake rigorous experiments to understand
the chemical processes. Using mechanistic experiments and kinetic investigations we will propose
mechanisms for these reactions, this information will lead to new catalysts for improvements in areas
such as selectivity and temperatures for thermal decomposition.