Adsorption and storage of hydrogen into porous metal-organic framework solids

“We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.” This old Chinese proverb underlines the importance of porous materials, that is, creating materials that possess empty spaces within. Naturally occurring porous clay materials “Zeolite” have been known to us for centuries. Both natural zeolites and man-made aluminosilicate (often called “zeotype”) find applications in petrochemical industry as heterogeneous catalyst in the last century. Apart from this, zeolites are often used in gas separation, desiccant, detergent builder, etc. With large internal surface area, hydrothermal stability zeolites have channels, channel intersections, and/or cages that attracted chemists for utilization in industry. Examples are faujasite, mordenite, offretite, ferrierite, chabazite, etc. All these and related synthetic microporous materials containing titanium, vanadium, cobalt, etc. are of considerable interest in catalysis and routinely dealt with at the International Zeolite Association.