Hydrogen storage and induced properties in non-metallic catalytic materials

Particular active sites, xM-yM′ (where x and y are the number of unsaturations, i.e. anionic vacancies, on each cation M and M′) involving reactive hydrogen are created during the activation of non-metallic catalytic materials. The anionic vacancies created in bulk and at the surface of the solid, by the loss of H2O or H2S, are able to receive hydrogen in a hydridic form according to a heterolytic dissociation (X2-Mn+□+H2→XH-Mn+H- with X=O or S). The non-metallic catalytic materials become catalytic hydrogen reservoirs. Besides a high reactivity, the hydrogen species, stored in the solid, present marked diffusion properties leading to a dynamic behavior of the solid and active sites.