G. Do

Bio: G. Do is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Proton NMR & Hydrogen storage. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 48 citations.

Hydrogenation of the liquid organic hydrogen carrier compound dibenzyltoluene – reaction pathway determination by 1H NMR spectroscopy

Abstract: The catalytic hydrogenation of the LOHC compound dibenzyltoluene (H0-DBT) was investigated by 1H NMR spectroscopy in order to elucidate the reaction pathway of its charging process with hydrogen in the context of future hydrogen storage applications. Five different reaction pathways during H0-DBT hydrogenation were considered including middle-ring preference (middle-side-side, MSS), side-middle-side order of hydrogenation (SMS), side-ring preference (SSM), simultaneous hydrogenation of all three rings without intermediate formation and statistical hydrogenation without any ring preference. Detailed analysis of the 1H NMR spectra of the H0-DBT hydrogenation over time revealed that the reaction proceeds with a very high preference for the SSM order at temperatures between 120 °C and 200 °C and 50 bar in the presence of a Ru/Al2O3-catalyst. HPLC analysis supported this interpretation by confirming an accumulation of H12-DBT species prior to full hydrogenation to H18-DBT with middle ring hydrogenation as the final step.

Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHCs): Toward a Hydrogen-free Hydrogen Economy

Abstract: ConspectusThe need to drastically reduce CO2 emissions will lead to the transformation of our current, carbon-based energy system to a more sustainable, renewable-based one. In this process, hydrogen will gain increasing importance as secondary energy vector. Energy storage requirements on the TWh scale (to bridge extended times of low wind and sun harvest) and global logistics of renewable energy equivalents will create additional driving forces toward a future hydrogen economy. However, the nature of hydrogen requires dedicated infrastructures, and this has prevented so far the introduction of elemental hydrogen into the energy sector to a large extent. Recent scientific and technological progress in handling hydrogen in chemically bound form as liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) supports the technological vision that a future hydrogen economy may work without handling large amounts of elemental hydrogen. LOHC systems are composed of pairs of hydrogen-lean and hydrogen-rich organic compounds that st...

Hydrogen storage using a hot pressure swing reactor

Abstract: Our contribution demonstrates that hydrogen storage in stationary Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) systems becomes much simpler and significantly more efficient if both, the LOHC hydrogenation and the LOHC dehydrogenation reaction are carried out in the same reactor using the same catalyst. The finding that the typical dehydrogenation catalyst for hydrogen release from perhydro dibenzyltoluene (H18-DBT), Pt on alumina, turns into a highly active and very selective dibenzyltoluene hydrogenation catalyst at temperatures above 220 °C paves the way for our new hydrogen storage concept. Herein, hydrogenation of H0-DBT and dehydrogenation of H18-DBT is carried out at the same elevated temperature between 290 and 310 °C with hydrogen pressure being the only variable for shifting the equilibrium between hydrogen loading and release. We demonstrate that the heat of hydrogenation can be provided at a temperature level suitable for effective dehydrogenation catalysis. Combined with a heat storage device of appropriate capacity or a high pressure steam system, this heat could be used for dehydrogenation.