The utilization of pure and valuable energy carriers such as hydrogen is becoming important in various applications, especially in the automotive fuel cell industry. However, as a result of the properties and character of hydrogen, its storage is not easy. Therefore, there is a need for systems such as liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs), which fulfill safety standards and are a flexible medium for the storage and transmission of sustainable energy. The heat transfer oil dibenzyltoluene is a novel LOHC system which can offer superior hydrogen storage capacity. Dibenzyltoluene has a good thermal stability and excellent physicochemical properties for LOHC applications in industry (Hydrogenation of the liquid organic hydrogen carrier compound dibenzyltoluene – reaction pathway determination by 1H NMR spectroscopyReact. Chem. Eng.20161313320). In this Review, the experimental study of dibenzyltoluene with the use of catalysts and the theoretical study of dibenzyltoluene through computational modeling and simulations are explored and discussed. The focus is on heterogeneous catalysts which can be used in hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of dibenzyltoluene.

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Catalyzed thermal decomposition of methane to produce hydrogen was studied. The carbon microfibers with embedded Ni, Cu and Co metals and metal phosphides were introduced as the novel catalysts. The catalysts were prepared by needle-less electrospinning being a versatile method for fibers production in large scale. The efficiency of methane decomposition by utilization of micro fiber carbon supported metal catalysts was studied by the pyrolysis-capillary gas chromatography method. The experiment was carried out in the temperature range from 973.15 to 1073.15 K. Kinetic parameters were calculated based on the Demitcheli kinetic model. It was found that the morphology, schedule of heat treatment and type and content of incorporated transition metals and metal phosphides may be the controlling parameter in the catalytic decomposition of methane. The highest conversion rates about 54% were achieved using carbon microfibers doped with cobalt and cobalt phosphide nanoparticles. The catalyst was heat treated in argon atmosphere followed by the hydrogen reduction. The second highest conversion rates were achieved with carbon microfibers doped with nickel and nickel phosphide nanoparticles carbonized only under argon atmosphere.

Polymer-coated metals may act as biodegradable orthopedic implants with adjustable corrosion rates. Metallic surfaces represent a dynamic system with specific interactions occurring after the material is implanted into the human body. An additional layer, in the form of polymeric thin film, changes the nature of this metal-body fluids interface. Moreover, the interaction between polymer and metal itself can differ for various systems. Iron-based material modified with a thin layer of polyethyleneimine (PEI) coating was prepared and studied as potential absorbable implant. Computational methods were employed to study the interaction between the metallic surface and polymer functional monomer units at atomic levels. Various spectroscopical and optical methods (SEM, AFM, Confocal, and Raman spectroscopy) were also used to characterize prepared material. Electrochemical measurements have been chosen to study the polymer adsorption process onto the iron surface and corrosion behavior which is greatly influenced by the PEI presence. The adsorption mechanism of PEI onto iron was proposed alongside the evaluation of Fe and Fe-PEI degradation behavior studied using the impedance method. Bonding via amino -NH2 group of PEI onto Fe and enhanced corrosion rate of coated samples were observed and confirmed.