Issue 6, 2009

Sodium borohydrideversus ammonia borane, in hydrogenstorage and direct fuelcell applications

Abstract

Since the late 1990s, sodium borohydride (NaBH4, denoted SB) is presented as a promising hydrogen storage material and an attractive fuel (aqueous solution) of the direct fuel cell (or direct liquid-feed fuel cell). In 2007, the U.S. Department of Energy recommended a no-go for SB for vehicular applications and suggested work on ammonia borane (AB), another promising hydrogen storage material, which is also considered as a fuel for the direct fuel cell. Both boron hydrides in hydrogen and fuel cell applications are the topics of the present paper. The basics, issues, solutions to the issues and state-of-the-art are tackled but the discussion aims to compare the hydrides for either application. It is shown that there are many similarities between SB and AB in their features and applications. Nevertheless SB and AB as hydrogen storage materials do not compete. Rather, SB is intended more to portable technologies while AB to vehicular applications. Otherwise, when these hydrides are utilised as fuels of direct fuel cell, one question arises: what can be the advantage of developing the AB-powered fuel cell when it seems to be less effective, practical, and more complex than the SB-powered fuel cell? These aspects are discussed. However that may be, it is concluded that both SB and AB are not mature enough for the applications considered.

Graphical abstract: Sodium borohydride versus ammonia borane, in hydrogen storage and direct fuel cell applications

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
12 Jan 2009
Accepted
27 Feb 2009
First published
12 Mar 2009

Energy Environ. Sci., 2009,2, 627-637

Sodium borohydride versus ammonia borane, in hydrogen storage and direct fuel cell applications

U. B. Demirci and P. Miele, Energy Environ. Sci., 2009, 2, 627 DOI: 10.1039/B900595A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements