Hydrogen Storage Using Borane-Diamine Adducts?
Authors:
Jay-Ar Bendo, Erik RomeroMentor:
Thomas Morton, Professor of Chemistry, University of California RiversideThe world is currently on the search for alternative fuels to meet the growing consumer demand. New methods are being explored that can transfer energy from a stationary source (such as a power plant) to a mobile consumer (such as a car). We will look at a source of energy that uses Hydrogen. Currently, there is a compound that could deliver a substantial amount of Hydrogen—based on percent weight of the compound. This compound, ammonia-borane, can deliver up to 13% Hydrogen. The problem with this compound is the difficulty of its regeneration. We look to explore compounds that may not deliver as much H2, but which are more easily regenerated. The proposed compounds contain a borane-diamine ring structure. Our main objective is synthesis, purification, and characterization. The synthesis gives a mixture of products. The side products need to be purified out so only a single product can be isolated. Purification required a number of steps including TLC, column chromatography, and ESI-MS. Aside from the synthesis aspect of the research, there was also a computational aspect, which is meant to predict where dehydrogenation is most likely to occur. The goal now is to produce larger quantities so we can look at ways to regenerate the starting material.