Engineered Multifunctional Superparticles as Solid-State Cargo for Hydrogen Storage

In this proposal, we would focus on addressing the challenges mentioned above through the proper design of superparticles that consist of (i) a photoactive metal oxide core (f...for controlled and selective release) and (ii) polymeric materials capable of stabilizing metal colloids (for high chemical loading of H2 fuel). This system would entail a three-in-one tailored solution where various components in the superparticle architecture (Scheme 1) offer synergism to deliver the solutions for the main challenges. The core of the superstructure will consist of photoactive metal oxides with different morphologies ranging from isotropic (0D) to anisotropic (2D) in the size regime that maximizes the surface area and composition capable of harvesting the maximum portion of the solar spectrum. This core will be engineered with various polymeric shells containing certain chemical functionalities that will enable the maximization of the amount of hydrogen storage by (i) either increasing the number of relevant functionalities in the backbone of the polymer to bind H2 directly or (ii) by providing the nucleation sites for the relevant non-noble metal nanoparticles for H2 storage.