Research Projects

The solid-state method of storing hydrogen is safe and efficient, with hydride-based materials being particularly relevant for onboard applications. MgH2 is the most advantageous hydrogen storage material due to its high hydrogen storage capacity and abundance in sea-water and Earth's crust. However, it has drawbacks such as high hydrogen desorption temperature, slow kinetics, and high thermodynamic barrier. To address these, researchers are exploring the use of transition metal-based catalysts and dimensionality effects on MgH2. The proposed proposal focuses on the MgH2 (0D)-transition metal oxide (TMO) (2D) heterostructure, which will be optimized using DFT-VAsP calculations and experimental synthesizing to achieve internationally floated targets for hydrogen storage materials. The optimized MgH2 (0D) or TMO(2D) heterostructure will be used as a hydrogen source in an educational prototype hydrogen-fueled setup.