Hydrogen generation based on a gel-like formate system with a palladium catalyst

Catalytic formate decomposition under mild conditions is a promising strategy for hydrogen production as an efficient hydrogen carrier. Most of previous studies performed formate decomposition for hydrogen generation in liquid phase or using formate as a promoter for formic acid decomposition, which exhibits relatively low hydrogen energy density by mass. Here, we reported a gel-like formate system for catalytic hydrogen generation under mild conditions. A H2 yield of 100% with hydrogen energy density by weight of 2.38 wt% was achieved, and the palladium catalyst shows high stability and recyclability for KCOOH gel decomposition. Moreover, the constructed gel-like formate filled in an aluminum cylinder could continuously and steadily supply hydrogen to a 12V/35W fuel cell to drive a LED display. This work may provide a new thought for safe hydrogen storage and production system for hydrogen energy usage in the future.