Exploring advanced nanostructures and functional materials for efficient hydrogen storage: a theoretical investigation on mechanisms, adsorption process, and future directions

Hydrogen is a promising candidate for renewable energy storage and transportation due to its high energy density and zero carbon emissions. Its practical applications face challenges related to safe, efficient storage and release systems. This review article investigates advanced nanostructured mate...

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Main Authors: Gourhari Jana, Pratim Kumar Chattaraj
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Chemistry
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fchem.2025.1525140/full
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author Gourhari Jana
Pratim Kumar Chattaraj
author_facet Gourhari Jana
Pratim Kumar Chattaraj
author_sort Gourhari Jana
collection DOAJ
description Hydrogen is a promising candidate for renewable energy storage and transportation due to its high energy density and zero carbon emissions. Its practical applications face challenges related to safe, efficient storage and release systems. This review article investigates advanced nanostructured materials for hydrogen storage, including metal acetylide and cyanide complexes, B,N-doped γ-graphyne nanotubes (γ-GNT), lithium-phosphide double helices, and Ni-decorated carbon-based clusters. Density Functional Theory (DFT) based computations are used to analyze binding energies, thermodynamic stability, and adsorption mechanisms. Ni-decorated C12N12 nanoclusters demonstrate enhanced storage capacities, binding up to eight H2 molecules with a favorable N-(μ-Ni)-N configuration. Lithium-phosphide double helices show potential for 9.6 wt% hydrogen storage within a stable, semiconducting framework. Functionalization of γ-GNT with OLi2 at boron-doped sites significantly enhances storage potential, achieving optimal hydrogen binding energies for practical applications. Additionally, metal acetylide and cyanide complexes, stabilized by noble gas insertion, display thermodynamically favorable hydrogen adsorption. These results highlight the potential of these functionalized nanostructures for achieving high-capacity, reversible hydrogen storage. The nanostructures in this study, such as γ-graphyne nanotubes (γ-GNT), lithium-phosphide double helices, metal acetylide and cyanide complexes, and Ni-decorated carbon-based clusters, are selected based on their ability to exhibit complementary hydrogen adsorption mechanisms, including physisorption and chemisorption. γ-GNT offers high surface area and tunable electronic properties, ideal for physisorption enhanced by heteroatom doping. Lithium-phosphide double helices facilitate Kubas-like chemisorption through unsaturated lithium centers. Metal acetylide and cyanide complexes stabilize hydrogen adsorption via charge transfer and conjugated frameworks, while Ni-decorated clusters combine polarization-induced physisorption. These materials represent a strategic approach to addressing the challenges of hydrogen storage through diverse and synergistic mechanisms. The review also addresses challenges and outlines future directions to advance hydrogen’s role as a sustainable fuel.
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spelling doaj-art-8da4651601cc401e93bd9a75327f0f8d2025-02-11T06:59:45ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Chemistry2296-26462025-02-011310.3389/fchem.2025.15251401525140Exploring advanced nanostructures and functional materials for efficient hydrogen storage: a theoretical investigation on mechanisms, adsorption process, and future directionsGourhari Jana0Pratim Kumar Chattaraj1School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata, IndiaDepartment of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, Jharkhand, IndiaHydrogen is a promising candidate for renewable energy storage and transportation due to its high energy density and zero carbon emissions. Its practical applications face challenges related to safe, efficient storage and release systems. This review article investigates advanced nanostructured materials for hydrogen storage, including metal acetylide and cyanide complexes, B,N-doped γ-graphyne nanotubes (γ-GNT), lithium-phosphide double helices, and Ni-decorated carbon-based clusters. Density Functional Theory (DFT) based computations are used to analyze binding energies, thermodynamic stability, and adsorption mechanisms. Ni-decorated C12N12 nanoclusters demonstrate enhanced storage capacities, binding up to eight H2 molecules with a favorable N-(μ-Ni)-N configuration. Lithium-phosphide double helices show potential for 9.6 wt% hydrogen storage within a stable, semiconducting framework. Functionalization of γ-GNT with OLi2 at boron-doped sites significantly enhances storage potential, achieving optimal hydrogen binding energies for practical applications. Additionally, metal acetylide and cyanide complexes, stabilized by noble gas insertion, display thermodynamically favorable hydrogen adsorption. These results highlight the potential of these functionalized nanostructures for achieving high-capacity, reversible hydrogen storage. The nanostructures in this study, such as γ-graphyne nanotubes (γ-GNT), lithium-phosphide double helices, metal acetylide and cyanide complexes, and Ni-decorated carbon-based clusters, are selected based on their ability to exhibit complementary hydrogen adsorption mechanisms, including physisorption and chemisorption. γ-GNT offers high surface area and tunable electronic properties, ideal for physisorption enhanced by heteroatom doping. Lithium-phosphide double helices facilitate Kubas-like chemisorption through unsaturated lithium centers. Metal acetylide and cyanide complexes stabilize hydrogen adsorption via charge transfer and conjugated frameworks, while Ni-decorated clusters combine polarization-induced physisorption. These materials represent a strategic approach to addressing the challenges of hydrogen storage through diverse and synergistic mechanisms. The review also addresses challenges and outlines future directions to advance hydrogen’s role as a sustainable fuel.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fchem.2025.1525140/fullpromising H2 storage materialsenergy storagehydrogen storage mechanismsnanostructuresmechanistic advancements
spellingShingle Gourhari Jana
Pratim Kumar Chattaraj
Exploring advanced nanostructures and functional materials for efficient hydrogen storage: a theoretical investigation on mechanisms, adsorption process, and future directions
Frontiers in Chemistry
promising H2 storage materials
energy storage
hydrogen storage mechanisms
nanostructures
mechanistic advancements
title Exploring advanced nanostructures and functional materials for efficient hydrogen storage: a theoretical investigation on mechanisms, adsorption process, and future directions
title_full Exploring advanced nanostructures and functional materials for efficient hydrogen storage: a theoretical investigation on mechanisms, adsorption process, and future directions
title_fullStr Exploring advanced nanostructures and functional materials for efficient hydrogen storage: a theoretical investigation on mechanisms, adsorption process, and future directions
title_full_unstemmed Exploring advanced nanostructures and functional materials for efficient hydrogen storage: a theoretical investigation on mechanisms, adsorption process, and future directions
title_short Exploring advanced nanostructures and functional materials for efficient hydrogen storage: a theoretical investigation on mechanisms, adsorption process, and future directions
title_sort exploring advanced nanostructures and functional materials for efficient hydrogen storage a theoretical investigation on mechanisms adsorption process and future directions
topic promising H2 storage materials
energy storage
hydrogen storage mechanisms
nanostructures
mechanistic advancements
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fchem.2025.1525140/full
work_keys_str_mv AT gourharijana exploringadvancednanostructuresandfunctionalmaterialsforefficienthydrogenstorageatheoreticalinvestigationonmechanismsadsorptionprocessandfuturedirections
AT pratimkumarchattaraj exploringadvancednanostructuresandfunctionalmaterialsforefficienthydrogenstorageatheoreticalinvestigationonmechanismsadsorptionprocessandfuturedirections