H2MOF (Develop metal-organic frameworks for hydrogen storage and transport)

H2MOF, an American hydrogen energy startup founded in 2021, develops advanced solid-state hydrogen carriers of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that enable hydrogen storage at low pressures and ambient temperatures.

Challenges: hydrogen storage

Hydrogen (H₂), the most abundant element in the universe, is not just a fundamental building block of stars—it's also a vital ingredient in the synthesis of ammonia. Production of ammonia plays a crucial role in producing a wide range of products we use on a daily basis, including fertilizers for crop nourishment and plastics for modern life.

Traditionally, the world has relied heavily on steam methane reforming (SMR) to produce over 60 million tons of hydrogen annually. However, this method comes with a significant environmental cost. It's an energy-intensive process that contributes approximately 2% to global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, releasing between 5 and 9 tons of CO₂ for every ton of hydrogen it generates.

There are cleaner paths to producing hydrogen, such as water electrolysis and methane pyrolysis.

After production, transporting hydrogen to end-users is necessary. Gaseous hydrogen is commonly delivered by trucks called tube trailers. These vehicles compress hydrogen to high pressures in long cylinders stacked on the trailer. Hydrogen is also liquefied and transported in specially insulated trucks or ships.

Alternative solutions to hydrogen transport are emerging, including hydrogen carriers. Hydrogen carriers are either liquid-state or solid-state materials that have the ability to store hydrogen and release it when needed.

Among the liquid hydrogen carriers, Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC) are the most represented. Typically, the organic hydrogen carrier is unsaturated or aromatic hydrocarbons, such as toluene and fluorenone. During the hydrogenation process, hydrogen is chemically bonded to the liquid organic carrier in the presence of a catalyst under heating. The resulting saturated hydrocarbon is transported in a liquid state at standard temperature and pressure. The dehydrogenation reaction, in the presence of a catalyst and heating, then releases the hydrogen from the saturated hydrocarbons.

Solid-state carriers include metallic hydrides that enable the uptake of hydrogen by adsorption onto metal particles, resulting in metal hydride. Among them, magnesium hydride is stable at low pressure and standard temperature, making it convenient to transport and store. When needed, the material is heated to release the hydrogen gas.

H2MOF Technology

H2MOF develops solid-state metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for hydrogen carriers. Atomic precision tailors these MOFs to maximize hydrogen adsorption and enable efficient hydrogen release when required. H2MOF’s solid-state hydrogen carriers enable efficient hydrogen storage at room temperature and low pressures as low as 20 bar. This approach addresses the major drawbacks of existing compression and liquefaction technologies, which require high pressures (up to 700 bar) or extremely low temperatures, both of which are energy-intensive and costly.

H2MOF hydrogen carriers

Metal-organic frameworks are a type of porous materials made up of metal ions or clusters that are linked to organic ligands. They form strong crystalline MOF structures that have more than 50% of their volume filled with holes.

The surface area values of such MOFs typically range from 1,000 to 10,000 m²/g thus exceeding those of traditional porous materials, such as zeolites and carbons. These aspects have made MOFs ideal candidates for various applications, including gas storage, separation, and catalysis.

The diagram below depicts H2MOF’s hydrogen carrier.