Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHCs): A Promising Solution for Hydrogen Storage and Transportation

The liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) system has gained significant attention as a promising method for storing and transporting hydrogen. LOHCs are liquid or low-melting solids that undergo reversible hydrogenation and dehydrogenation with the help of a suitable catalytic system. This allows for high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen storage under ambient conditions, making LOHCs compatible with existing infrastructure for transportation and refueling. The LOHC system involves a pair of organic compounds, one hydrogen-lean and one hydrogen-rich. Hydrogen is stored by converting the hydrogen-lean compound to the hydrogen-rich compound through catalytic hydrogenation, and hydrogen is released through the reverse dehydrogenation reaction of the hydrogen-rich compound. This process is reversible, and only hydrogen is released, as illustrated in Figure 2. The LOHC concept shows promising potential for efficient and practical hydrogen storage and utilization.