Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 30, 2025

A Simple, Low-cost, and Robust System to Measure the Volume of Hydrogen Evolved by Chemical Reactions with Aqueous Solutions
Published on: August 17, 2016
Light-Activated Hydrogen Storage in Mg, LiH and NaAlH4
Yahui Sun1, Kondo-Francois Aguey-Zinsou1
1MERLin, School of Chemical Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
Abstract:
The concept of light activation for triggering hydrogen release or uptake in hydrogen storage materials was investigated with the aid of gold (Au) nanoparticles dispersed at the surface of typical hydrides including magnesium hydride (MgH2 ), lithium hydride (LiH) and sodium alanate (NaAlH4 ). Upon Xe lamp illumination, the overall temperature of the materials reached ca. 100 °C owing to the plasmonic heating effect of the Au nanoparticles. Direct-heat-driven hydrogen storage at the same temperature with a conventional electrical furnace was found to be less effective with a smaller fraction of hydrogen released from Au/LiH and no phase conversion for Au/NaAlH4 or for Au/Mg under hydrogen pressure. The better efficiency of the observed light-driven hydrogen storage is attributed to the higher temperature in the vicinity of the Au nanoparticles owing to their plasmonic effect. With further improvements, light-activated hydrogen storage could lead to an effective approach for hydrogen uptake and release from hydrides at low temperatures.
Related Concept Videos
Batteries and Fuel Cells
Acid Halides to Alcohols: LiAlH4 Reduction
The mechanism proceeds in three steps. First, the nucleophilic hydride ion attacks the carbonyl carbon of the acid halide to form a tetrahedral intermediate. Next, the carbonyl group is re-formed, and the halide ion departs as a leaving group, generating an aldehyde. A second nucleophilic attack by the hydride yields an alkoxide ion, which, upon protonation, gives a primary alcohol as...
Alkali Metals
Table 1: Properties of the alkali metals
Nitriles to Amines: LiAlH4 Reduction
As shown below, the mechanism involves three steps. Firstly, the hydride ion acting as a nucleophile attacks the nitrile carbon to form an anion. In the second step, a second equivalent of the hydride ion attacks the anion to...
Lewis Structures of Molecular Compounds and Polyatomic Ions
Electron Configuration of Multielectron Atoms

