Abstract text

A solid-state hydrogen storage material and process for making the material more thoroughly rechargeable. The process entails forming a porous matrix material to contain atoms of a first element and hydrogen atoms, in which the atoms of the first element are capable of bonding with more than one hydrogen atom per atom of the first element, and the atoms of the first element are molecularly arranged within the porous matrix material so that different atoms of the first element are bonded to different numbers of hydrogen atoms at correspondingly different levels of bonding energy. At least some of the hydrogen atoms bonded to the atoms of the first element at the lowest bond energies are then removed without removing hydrogen atoms bonded at higher bond energies, after which atoms of a second element are bonded to those atoms of the first element from which hydrogen atoms were removed.