Nanostructured adsorbents for hydrogen storage at ambient temperature: high-pressure measurements and factors influencing hydrogen spillover

Hydrogen storage is the crucially missing link to a future hydrogen economy. There have been intense efforts in developing nanostructured adsorbent materials for hydrogen storage during the last decade. Storage at ambient temperature is particularly desirable. New approaches include boron- and nitrogen-substituted carbons, metal–organic frameworks, and, in particular, metal-assisted storage. The metal-assisted approach, which exploits the well-documented hydrogen spillover phenomenon, has shown considerable promise. This review provides insights and understanding of hydrogen storage on the new adsorbent materials and offers possible future directions for further developments. Keys to accuracy and reproducibility in high-pressure hydrogen uptake measurements are also discussed.