Sodium borohydride and propylene glycol, an effective combination for the generation of 2.3 wt% of hydrogen

International audience; Sodium borohydride NaBH4 (SB) readily and completely reacts with four equivalents of propylene glycol HOCH2CH(OH)CH3 (PG), resulting in the liberation of four equivalents of H2 at temperatures starting from 25 °C. Alcoholysis (or glycolysis) takes place. The system SB-4PG is then an attractive H2 generator thanks to an effective gravimetric hydrogen storage capacity of 2.3 wt%. It offers several other advantages: there is no need of catalyst; there is no precipitation of by-product; PG is among the safest alcohols (much safer than e.g. methanol). The potential of SB-4PG as H2 generator is thus illustrated and discussed herein.