Could urea be the future source of hydrogen?

Energy & Environmental Science Perspective

This ‘HOT’ feature article reviews the potential of urea ((NH2)2CO) as a hydrogen carrier for fuel cells and the feasibility of utilising the enormous natural resource of urea that already exists.

Urea is a cheap and readily available resource, and has the advantage over other chemicals of being non-toxic and stable, and therefore easy to transport and store.

The authors say that urea “could be a solution to long-term future sustainable hydrogen supply” and conclude that urea is a realistic sustainable route and could be exploited if sufficient research is undertaken.

Read this ‘HOT’ Perspective today:
Urea as a hydrogen carrier: a perspective on its potential for safe, sustainable and long-term energy supply

Andrew N. Rollinson, Jenny Jones, Valerie Dupont and Martyn V. Twigg
Energy Environ. Sci., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C0EE00705F

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