Ionic liquid-based (nano)catalysts for hydrogen generation and storage

Abstract

The growing worldwide energy requirements, the reduction of fossil fuels and the corresponding environmental problems are encouraging researchers to study different types of pure and sustainable energy generation, storage, and usage technologies. Efficient hydrogen (H2) generation would offer the possibility of harvesting renewable energy in the form of clean fuels for many applications. To achieve this objective, H2 generation through hydrolysis of hydrides, electrochemical, and photocatalytic H2 evolution methods are the most effective, affordable, and clean techniques. On the other hand, recent claims of the high efficiency of ionic liquid-based (nano)catalysts (ILBCs) have inspired significant research regarding the application of these compounds in the production of high purity H2 through cost-effective and straightforward processes. Herein, we review electrocatalytic and photocatalytic H2 evolution reaction methods, H2 generation from hydrolysis of hydrides, and the performance of ILBCs in each of these methods. We believe that the contents of this review raise the interest of chemists working on catalysis and inspire more efforts in studying ILBCs.