H2MOF comes out of stealth with hydrogen storage material

Hydrogen enthusiasts talk about H 2 as a central currency in the nascent sustainable economy. But, it’s not so straightforward. Among several challenges is the difficulty of storing and transporting hydrogen. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) could offer a way forward, according to the just emerged start-up H2MOF, by storing hydrogen at mild pressure and ambient temperature. The academic chemistry heavyweights Fraser Stoddart and Omar Yaghi cofounded H2MOF in 2021 along with CEO Samer Taha. Taha is also executive chairman of Revonence Technologies, the private equity firm that owns H2MOF. That structure has allowed the firm to operate in stealth mode until now, focusing on R&D instead of chasing venture capital. “We are fully financed until commercialization a few years down the road,” says Magnus Bach, H2MOF’s vice president for business development. Because of its low density, hydrogen is usually stored at 300 to 700 times atmospheric pressure or at temperatures around