Reversible Interconversion between 2,5-Dimethylpyrazine and 2,5-Dimethylpiperazine by Iridium-Catalyzed Hydrogenation/Dehydrogenation for Efficient Hydrogen Storage

A new hydrogen storage system based on the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of nitrogen heterocyclic compounds, employing a single iridium catalyst, has been developed. Efficient hydrogen storage using relatively small amounts of solvent compared with previous systems was achieved by this new system. Reversible transformations between 2,5-dimethylpyrazine and 2,5-dimethylpiperazine, accompanied by the uptake and release of three equivalents of hydrogen, could be repeated almost quantitatively at least four times without any loss of efficiency. Furthermore, hydrogen storage under solvent-free conditions was also accomplished.