Abstract:
Porous materials such as metal organic frameworks (MOFs), zeolite templated carbons
(ZTC), and some porous polymers have endeared the research community for their
attractiveness for hydrogen (H2) storage applications. This is due to their remarkable
properties, which among others include high surface areas, high porosity, tunability,
high thermal, and chemical stability. However, despite their extraordinary properties,
their lack of processability due to their inherent powdery nature presents a constraining
factor for their full potential for applications in hydrogen storage systems. Additionally,
the poor thermal conductivity in some of these materials also contributes to the
limitations for their use in this type of application. Therefore, there is a need to develop
strategies for producing functional porous composites that are easy-to-handle and with
enhanced heat transfer properties while still retaining their high hydrogen adsorption
capacities. Herein, we present a simple shaping approach for ZTCs and their MOFs
composite using a polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1). The intrinsic characteristics
of the individual porous materials are transferred to the resulting composites leading
to improved processability without adversely altering their porous nature. The surface
area and hydrogen uptake capacity for the obtained shaped composites were found
to be within the range of 1,054–2,433 m2g−1 and 1.22–1.87 H2 wt. %, respectively at
1 bar and 77 K. In summary, the synergistic performance of the obtained materials is
comparative to their powder counterparts with additional complementing properties.
