Scientists in Bath have developed a new way to store hydrogen using rhodium.

The new technology could offer a potential solution to the problem of safely storing hydrogen for use in vehicles, but the experts from the University of Bath have developed a potential solution to the problem using rhodium.

They have created a material which can store and release hydrogen at room temperature and although its fuel to weight ratio makes the possibility of creating an entire hydrogen tank from it impossible, it could be combined with metal hydride sources to store and release hydrogen on demand.

Dr Andrew Weller, from the University's Department of Chemistry, explained: "Our new material works at room temperature and at atmospheric pressure at the flick of a switch.

"Because it is made from a heavy metal (Rhodium), its weight to fuel ratio is low, 0.1 per cent, but it could certainly fill the time lag between a driver putting their foot on the accelerator and a metal hydride fuel tank getting up to temperature."

He added that the researchers are "really very excited" about the potential that the development could offer to the creation of hydrogen-powered vehicles.

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