Enabling hydrate-based methane storage under mild operating conditions by periodic mesoporous organosilica nanotubes

• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17662
• Publication Date: 2023-06-28T06:45:02Z
• Authors: Emile Jules Beckwée; Geert Watson; Maarten Houlleberghs; Daniel Arenas Est...; Sara Bals; Pascal Van Der Voort; Eric Breynaert; Johan Martens; Gino V. Baron; Joeri F.M. Denayer
• Keywords: Clathrate hydrate; Gravimetric analysis; Biogas

Biomethane is a renewable natural gas substitute produced from biogas. Storage of this sustainable energy vector in confined clathrate hydrates, encapsulated the pores host material, highly promising avenue to improve storage capacity and efficiency. Herein, new type periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) nanotubes, referred as hollow ring PMO (HR-PMO), capable promoting methane hydrate formation under mild working conditions (273 K, 3.5 MPa) at high water loading (5.1 g water/g HR-PMO) reported. Gravimetric uptake measurements reveal steep single-stepped isotherm noticeably (0.55 methane/g HR-PMO; 0.11 MPa). The large throughout consecutive pressure-induced formation-dissociation cycles demonstrates material's excellent recyclability (97% preservation capacity). Supported by ex situ cryo-electron tomography x-ray diffraction, HR-PMO nanotubes are hypothesized promote nucleation growth distribution confinement mesopores their outer wall, along central channels on external nanotube surface. These findings showcase potential for application materials with hierarchical interconnected pore systems pressure-based biomethane hydrates.