This review focuses on key aspects of the thermal decomposition of multinary or mixed hydride materials, with a particular emphasis on the rational control and chemical tuning of the strategically important thermal decomposition temperature of such hydrides, Tdec. An attempt is also made to predict the thermal stability of as-yet unknown, elusive or even unknown hydrides. The future of a particularly promising class of materials for hydrogen storage, namely the catalytically enhanced complex metal hydrides, is discussed. The predictions are supported by thermodynamics considerations, calculations derived from molecular orbital (MO) theory and backed up by simple chemical insights and intuition.

Thermal decomposition of the non-interstitial hydrides for the storage and production of hydrogen.

Hydrogen storage in Mg: A most promising material

Materials for hydrogen-based energy storage – past, recent progress and future outlook

Magnesium based materials for hydrogen based energy storage: Past, present and future

Mechanochemical synthesis of hydrogen storage materials

Structure of the high pressure phase γ-MgH2 by neutron powder diffraction

Structure of the High Pressure Phase γ-MgH2 by Neutron Powder Diffraction.

The combination of the three types of vibrational spectroscopy, infrared, Raman, and inelastic neutron scattering, has enabled all of the internal, and most of the external, modes of Mg2FeH6 and Mg2FeD6 to be observed and assigned, as well as some of the modes of Mg2FeD5H. As an aid to the assignment, a reliable, empirical force field has been developed. The spectra also show evidence for a dynamic distortion of the hexahydrido complex, an effect that is not observed for the deuterated species.

Inelastic Neutron Scattering, Infrared, and Raman Spectroscopic Studies of Mg2FeH6 and Mg2FeD6

The combination of the three types of vibrational spectroscopy, IR, Raman and inelastic neutron scattering, has enabled all the internal, and some of the external, modes of Mg2CoH5 and Mg2CoD5 to be observed and assigned, as well as some of the modes of eq- and ax-Mg2CoD4H. As an essential aid to the assignment, an empirical forcefield has been developed.

Inelastic neutron scattering, IR and Raman spectroscopic studies of Mg2CoH5 and Mg2CoD5

The infrared, Raman and inelastic neutron scattering spectra of the approximately tetrahedral ternary metal hydrides: Mg2NiH4, Rb3ZnH5 and their deuterides have been observed and assigned. This has enabled a comparison of some of the properties of the first row transition ternary metal hydrides.

M. Bortz

Papers

Structure of the high pressure phase γ-MgH2 by neutron powder diffraction

Structure of the High Pressure Phase γ-MgH2 by Neutron Powder Diffraction.

Inelastic Neutron Scattering, Infrared, and Raman Spectroscopic Studies of Mg2FeH6 and Mg2FeD6

Inelastic neutron scattering, IR and Raman spectroscopic studies of Mg2CoH5 and Mg2CoD5

Vibrational spectroscopy of tetrahedral ternary metal hydrides: Mg2NiH4, Rb3ZnH5 and their deuterides