abstracts
Molecular hydrogen (H2) has been proposed as an alternative fuel source for vehicles. Though H2 has many benefits, such as clean combustion and the highest known energy density by mass, there are issues in how to store it in a safe and cost effective way. One solution is to store hydrogen in a chemical compound, and gas clathrates (crystalline inclusion compounds) have shown promising results. Pressure provides a powerful means to tune the properties of such compounds and its effects on potential hydrogen storage materials are widely explored. We have recently developed a hydrogen-compatible gas loader for the Paris-Edinburgh press, which enables the loading of high density hydrogen into a clamp with a sample volume suitable for neutron diffraction experiments using the Paris-Edinburgh press [1]. Neutron diffraction is the technique of choice for such materials since it can reveal the location and occupancy of the hydrogen sites. We will present recent data from high-pressure neutron diffraction experiments on hydrogen hydrates as well as other clathrate forming systems like urea and hydroquinone.