Doubling Hydrogen Storage in Perovskites: Mechanochemistry Unlocks a Cleaner Energy Future

Mechanochemistry Hydrogen Storage in Perovskite Crystals

In a major leap toward sustainable hydrogen storage and ammonia production, scientists from the RIKEN Pioneering Research Institute in Japan have successfully used mechanochemistry to double the hydrogen capacity of a perovskite-based crystal—without requiring high temperatures or pressures. This low-energy method has the potential to transform materials science, energy systems, and fertilizer production in one stroke.

🔬 The Power of Perovskite Oxyhydrides

Perovskite crystals, especially barium titanate oxyhydrides, are known for their ability to store hydrogen atoms within their lattice structures. This stored hydrogen is easily transportable and can act as a catalyst for generating ammonia—a critical chemical in agriculture and energy storage. Until now, traditional topochemical methods could only replace about 17% of oxygen ions in the structure with hydrogen.

However, the new technique developed by the team led by Dr. Genki Kobayashi uses mechanical grinding to achieve a hydrogen substitution rate of 34%, effectively doubling the storage capacity. Even better: the resulting material also acts as a more efficient catalyst for ammonia synthesis.

⚙️ Mechanochemistry: A Greener Alternative

Mechanochemistry involves initiating chemical reactions through physical forces like grinding, rather than heat or solvents. In this study, perovskite powder was processed at room temperature using only mechanical mixing—no high-energy input or hazardous chemicals required. This method not only saves energy but also introduces beneficial strain into the crystal lattice, improving both storage and catalytic performance.

The researchers found that even when two powders contained the same amount of hydrogen, the mechanochemically synthesized sample outperformed the traditional one in catalytic ammonia production. This is attributed to internal lattice deformations caused by grinding—something that high-temperature methods cannot achieve.

🌱 Toward a Hydrogen-Based Economy

The breakthrough sets a new benchmark for solid-state hydrogen storage and material-based catalysis. As hydrogen plays a pivotal role in future clean energy systems—from fuel cells to zero-carbon ammonia—the ability to store and use it efficiently is paramount. Dr. Kobayashi’s team believes that their mechanochemical approach could lead to even better materials by applying it to other perovskite formulations in the future.

📘 Publication and Source

This study was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society by Fumitaka Takeiri et al. Read the official summary from Phys.org here: https://phys.org/news/2025-08-hydrogen-storage-perovskite-crystals-maximized.html

This blog article was prepared with the assistance of AI technologies.

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#HydrogenStorage #Mechanochemistry #PerovskiteCrystals #AmmoniaCatalyst #MaterialsScience #EnergyStorage #GreenHydrogen #SustainableChemistry #SolidStateHydrogen #PWmat #QuantumServerNetworks #AIinScience #CleanEnergy #FuelCellMaterials

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