Hydrogen Energy System That Uses [NiFe] Hydrogenase Functional Models and Works at 20–40 °C

Hydrogen gas is a strong contender for the next generation of energy, but it has serious drawbacks in terms of storage and transportation. So chemical derivatives, known as hydrogen energy carriers, are currently being developed. All current carriers have their own weaknesses, however, so here, we present an entirely new direction for their development. Instead of transporting H2-derived H or H–, we transport only its electrons. We describe a fully functioning system with a Ni complex for electron extraction, ethyl viologen for electron storage, and a NiFe complex for regenerating H2. Our system is notable for (1) working wholly at 20–40 °C, (2) not generating any CO2, (3) not using any precious metals, and (4) having a recyclable carrier.