Inexpensive Hydrogen Storage: Propylene to Propane using Plasmonic Photocatalysis.

Carroll, Alison; Dhindsa, Parmeet; Ahrens, Alexander; Nunes Barbosa, Matheus Laureano; Ahmad, Aliyu A; Craft, Nolan; Deneen, Shan; Nordlander, Peter et al. · Nano Lett · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Chemistry-based hydrogen storage media, such as liquid organic hydrogen carriers, offer an attractive alternative to physical hydrogen storage solutions. Here, we investigate propane as a possible hydrogen storage medium, attractive for its low cost and ease of availability. We report the ambient temperature and pressure hydrogenation of propylene using an antenna-reactor Al@TiO<sub>2</sub>-Pt single-atom plasmonic photocatalyst. Illumination at two distinct wavelengths, 450 and 800 nm, corresponds to high reactivity toward propane production. Theoretical insight into wavelength-dependent hot-carrier generation reveals nonequilibrium carriers with sufficient energies to activate both steps of propylene hydrogenation at either wavelength, the dissociation of H<sub>2</sub> and its incorporation into the propylene carbon-carbon double bond. Paired with light-driven propane dehydrogenation, this study demonstrates that photocatalytic cycling of propylene - propane for hydrogen storage and release can be performed under mild conditions.