Regeneration of ammonia borane spent fuel by direct reaction with hydrazine and liquid ammonia

Abstract

Ammonia borane (H3N-BH3, AB) is a lightweight material containing a high density of hydrogen (H2) that can be readily liberated for use in fuel cell-powered applications. However, in the absence of a straightforward, efficient method for regenerating AB from dehydrogenated polymeric spent fuel, its full potential as a viable H 2 storage material will not be realized. We demonstrate that the spent fuel type derived from the removal of greater than two equivalents of H2 per molecule of AB (i.e., polyborazylene, PB) can be converted back to AB nearly quantitatively by 24-hour treatment with hydrazine (N 2H4) in liquid ammonia (NH3) at 40°C in a sealed pressure vessel.