[CCoE Notice] Dissertation Announcement: Rojan Firuznia, "Functional Material for High-Capacity Hydrogen Storage"

[Greenwell, Stephen J]

[Dissertation Defense Announcement at the Cullen College of Engineering]
Functional Material for High-Capacity Hydrogen Storage
Rojan Firuznia
April 25, 2025, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (CST)
Location: Engineering Building 1, Large Conference Room
Committee Chair:
Hadi Ghasemi, Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Dong Liu, Ph.D. | Alamgir Karim, Ph.D. | Di Yang, Ph.D. |
Ben XU, Ph.D.
Abstract
In the context of sustainable energy and climate mitigation, hydrogen has emerged as a vital energy carrier for both stationary and mobile applications. However, the development of high-capacity, safe, and cost-effective hydrogen storage systems remains a significant barrier to advancing the hydrogen economy. Traditional storage materials-including metal hydrides, metal-organic frameworks, and two-dimensional materials-often suffer from drawbacks such as high operating pressures, slow kinetics, and energy-intensive hydrogen release processes.
This dissertation explores an alternative approach by investigating hydrogen solubility and hydrate formation under confinement. First, we examine how nanoscale confinement affects hydrogen solubility in water, revealing that pore size and geometry critically influence molecular interactions and hydrate stability. We then employ a modified zeolite platform, termed Z3, featuring rationally tuned pore dimensions and tailored surface chemistry. This structure enhances hydrogen solubility by restructuring water molecules and facilitating double donor-acceptor (DDAA) hydrogen bonding, enabling hydrogen storage in the form of hydrates at pressures as low as 8 -10 bar, two orders of magnitude lower than conventional systems.
Building upon these findings, we introduce a novel solid-liquid hybrid platform: the Solid-Liquid Storage Material (SLSM). SLSM consists of tiny porous silica materials filled with water-based solutions and covered by liquid layers. This architecture promotes water molecule reorganization and DDAA bonding within confined domains, significantly enhancing hydrogen solubility. Notably, SLSM generates internal pressures of approximately 500 bar under ambient conditions, eliminating the need for external compression.
The SLSM achieves a hydrogen storage capacity of 0.043 kg H2 per liter of system volume, meeting the U.S. Department of Energy's 2025 volumetric storage target. By integrating low-pressure operation, fast kinetics, and high storage density, this work presents a promising pathway for next-generation hydrogen storage technologies to enable a clean and efficient energy transition.
[Engineered For What's Next]


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://Bug.EGR.UH.EDU/pipermail/engi-dist/attachments/20250414/5e01d167/attachment-0001.html 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 28058 bytes
Desc: image001.png
Url : http://Bug.EGR.UH.EDU/pipermail/engi-dist/attachments/20250414/5e01d167/attachment-0002.png 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.png
Type: image/png
Size: 5699 bytes
Desc: image002.png
Url : http://Bug.EGR.UH.EDU/pipermail/engi-dist/attachments/20250414/5e01d167/attachment-0003.png