Henrietta Langmi
Department of Chemistry, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Tentative title: Advancing the green hydrogen economy in South Africa and the role of metal-organic frameworks for hydrogen storage
Abstract: It is widely accepted that the hydrogen economy can play an important role in the global energy mix as well as alleviate the effects of global warming. In South Africa, the energy sector relies heavily on coal; therefore, South Africa is among the highest emitters of carbon dioxide. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is a boosting factor for South Africa as a signatory to reduce its carbon footprint. Recently, the South African Hydrogen Society Roadmap was launched wherein priority actions were highlighted. This presentation will highlight a perspective of the opportunities, status and challenges of a green hydrogen economy in South Africa.
One of the major challenges hindering the realization of the hydrogen economy globally is the lack of safe, reliable and efficient hydrogen storage systems. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have continued to attract attention for adsorption-based gas storage. However, the consumption of large volumes of harmful solvents, high temperature and long durations for synthesis, and high cost of precursors are hampering the large-scale production of MOFs for practical applications. This presentation will also discuss hydrogen storage in MOFs and provide an overview of our research in the area.