Grant: Strategic Projects Supplemental Competition

Dwindling petrochemical reserves and increased public concern over the greenhouse gas emissions are exerting pressure on governments, industry and academics to find alternative methods for the world to meet its demands for energy. These needs will be met by different sources, including solar, wind and hydroelectric energy. However, one of the most important and most polluting technologies is transportation, which requires that the energy from sun, wind and water power be efficiently stored and then released. One of the most promising vehicles for portable energy to be identified this century is ammonia borane. Generated entirely from elements in the first row of the periodic table, it is also light and hydrogen rich (6 hydrogen atoms of a total of 8 atoms). The relative weight of hydrogen is among the highest of the hydrogen carriers developed to date (ca. 20%). Hydrolytic, thermal, photochemical and catalytic methods for the release of hydrogen have been developed.The only,  and now critical challenge remaining is how to REINSTALL the hydrogen that was emitted. Simple re-hydrogenation of ammonia borane cannot be accomplished directly using attainable pressures of hydrogen. Thus indirect methods for reintroduction of hydrogen which require only CATALYTIC amounts of organic promoters are proposed. Both methods use only hydrogen as the stoichiometric reagent for the rehydrogenation, with a promoter to circumvent the unfavourable direct hydrogenation. An amine is used in combination with the highly Lewis acidic borane to activate hydrogen directly and alternatively, a biochemical hydride transfer agent (NADH) is employed which is catalytically regenerated using hydrogen. Considering the global importance of energy, this research will position Canada among world leaders in the new hydrogen economy. Along with the state-of-the-art developments already demonstrated at KCT Energy for the generation of hydrogen from ammonia borane, Canada will be positioned at the forefront of this emerging technology. The Crudden group has considerable expertise in the chemistry of organoboranes and catalysis. HQP involved in this proposal will benefit greatly from the combined fundamental and applied research program.