Polytriphenylamine Conjugated Microporous Polymers as Versatile Platforms for Tunable Hydrogen Storage

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Sustainable Energy

Background:

• Hydrogen (H2) is a promising decarbonization fuel, but efficient storage remains a challenge.
• Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) offer potential for gas storage applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize polytriphenylamine (PTPA) based CMPs for enhanced hydrogen (H2) storage.
• To investigate the impact of monomer stoichiometry on polymer porosity and H2 adsorption capacity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Buchwald-Hartwig (BH) coupling and the Bristol-Xi'an Jiaotong (BXJ) approach for polymer synthesis.
• Varied monomer reactive site stoichiometry to control polymer structure and properties.
• Characterized polymer porosity (surface area, micropore volume) and H2 storage performance.

Main Results:

• Achieved high specific surface areas (>1150 m2 g-1) and micropore volumes (0.47 cm3 g-1).
• Demonstrated significant H2 storage capacities: 1.65 wt.% (1 bar, 77 K), 2.51 wt.% (50 bar, 77 K), and 4.40 wt.% (100 bar, 77 K).
• PTPA-based CMPs showed advantages over compression for H2 storage up to 10 bar at 77 K.

Conclusions:

• Monomer ratio adjustments critically influence CMP porosity and H2 storage capabilities.
• Non-stoichiometric monomer concentrations are important for developing efficient CMP-based H2 storage materials.
• PTPA-based CMPs represent a viable adsorbent material for hydrogen storage applications.