Scientists at the Carnegie Institution have found for the first time that high pressure can be used to make a unique hydrogen-storage material. The discovery paves the way for an entirely new way to approach the hydrogen-storage problem.

The researchers found that the normally unreactive, noble gas xenon combines with molecular hydrogen (H₂) under pressure to form a previously unknown solid with unusual bonding chemistry. The experiments are the first time these elements have been combined to form a stable compound. The discovery debuts a new family of materials, which could boost new hydrogen technologies.

The paper is published in the November 22, 2009, advanced online publication of Nature Chemistry.

Xenon has some intriguing properties, including its use as an anesthesia, its ability to preserve biological tissues, and its employment in lighting. Xenon is a noble gas, which means that it does not typically react with other elements.

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Tags: fuel cell, hydrogen economy, hydrogen storage, hydrogen storage solution, hydrogen technologies, molecular hydrogen, storage material, storage method, storage problem

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 29th, 2009 at 1:25 pm and is filed under Cutting-edge Research, Innovation, Project Energy, Science Digest / Science Daily. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.