Dihydrolevoglucosenone (Cyrene™) as a Bio-derived Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier

Organic hydrides can store hydrogen via chemical bonding under ambient conditions, enabling the safe storage and transportation of hydrogen gas using the same infrastructure for gasoline. However, in previous research, most organic hydrides have been produced from petroleum, and therefore replacing them with earth-abundant or renewable compounds is essential to ensure sustainability. This study demonstrates dihydrolevoglucosenone (CyreneTM), which is a biodegradable liquid ketone produced from cellulose (a typical biomass) on an industrial scale, as a new renewable organic hydride. CyreneTM (hydrogen acceptor) is hydrogenated under ambient hydrogen pressure with a highly durable metal complex catalyst to produce 1,6-anhydro-3,4-dideoxy-beta-D-threo-hexopyranose (Cyrene-OH, hydrogen adduct). Cyrene-OH stores hydrogen via chemical bonding under ambient conditions, and is dehydrogenated by heating in the presence of the same catalyst to release hydrogen gas and reproduce CyreneTM. This study reports the first attempt to apply compounds, which can be produced directly from biomass on an industrial scale, to organic hydrides, and promotes the development of earth-abundant biomass for sustainable hydrogen storage.