Convenient sources for hydrogen along with different types of strong reducing agents can be produced by using highly reactive alkali metals. The latter application of the innovatively ground breaking method could provide an on-board mechanism for storing and producing hydrogen for vehicles.
The method either absorbs sodium in silica gel (porous silicon dioxide), or reacts it directly with elemental silicon, creating sodium silicide powders, which then react rapidly and controllably with water producing hydrogen. This promising method has been developed by SiGNa Chem — a spin-off from Columbia University.
Via: Green Car Congress
