Aluminum hydride as a hydrogen and energy storage material: Past, present and future

Aluminum hydride (AlH3) and its associated compounds make up a fascinating class of materials that have motivated considerable scientific and technological research over the past 50 years. Due primarily to its high energy density, AlH3 has become a promising hydrogen and energy storage material that has been used (or proposed for use) as a rocket fuel, explosive, reducing agent and as a hydrogen source for portable fuel cells. This review covers the past, present and future research on aluminum hydride and includes the latest research developments on the synthesis of alpha-AlH3 and the other polymorphs (e.g., microcrystallization reaction, batch and continuous methods), crystallographic structures, thermodynamics and kinetics (e.g., as a function of crystallite size, catalysts and surface coatings), high-pressure hydrogenation experiments and possible regeneration routes. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.