Tuning LiBH(4) for Hydrogen Storage: Destabilization, Additive, and Nanoconfinement Approaches

Hydrogen technology has become essential to fulfill our mobile and stationary energy needs in a global low–carbon energy system. The non-renewability of fossil fuels and the increasing environmental problems caused by our fossil fuel–running economy have led to our efforts towards the application of hydrogen as an energy vector. However, the development of volumetric and gravimetric efficient hydrogen storage media is still to be addressed. LiBH(4) is one of the most interesting media to store hydrogen as a compound due to its large gravimetric (18.5 wt.%) and volumetric (121 kgH(2)/m(3)) hydrogen densities. In this review, we focus on some of the main explored approaches to tune the thermodynamics and kinetics of LiBH(4): (I) LiBH(4) + MgH(2) destabilized system, (II) metal and metal hydride added LiBH(4), (III) destabilization of LiBH(4) by rare-earth metal hydrides, and (IV) the nanoconfinement of LiBH(4) and destabilized LiBH(4) hydride systems. Thorough discussions about the reaction pathways, destabilizing and catalytic effects of metals and metal hydrides, novel synthesis processes of rare earth destabilizing agents, and all the essential aspects of nanoconfinement are led.