Bio-derived liquid organic hydrogen carriers for reversible hydrogen storage

Hydrogen, as a clean and renewable energy carrier, provides a viable solution to the global energy crisis and environmental challenges, thanks to its carbon-free and recyclable nature. Beyond production technologies, developing an effective and scalable hydrogen storage technique is an important approach, facilitated by the Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) that have recently emerged as a highly potential method to store and transport hydrogen reliably for long-term and long-distance, respectively. Conventional LOHC systems are produced from fossil fuel derivatives using expensive refining processes, contributing to environmental contamination. Hence, to address these issues, bio-based LOHC systems derived from biomass have been explored as a sustainable alternative. This study reviews the concept of LOHC technology and several conventional LOHC pairs and places a research focus on bio-based LOHC systems development. In addition, recent advancements in the catalysts employed in (de) hydrogenation reactions of LOHC couples are discussed, emphasizing the key factors that increase their catalytic performance, including the nature of the active phase, the nature of support, dispersion, textural parameters, promoters, and synthesis method.