Hydrogen and methane can be molecularly incorporated
in ice-like
water structures up to mass fractions of 4.3% and 13.3%, respectively.
The resulting solid structures, called gas hydrates, offer great potential
for the efficient storage of hydrogen and natural gas. However, slow
gas encapsulation by bulk water hinders this application. Porous structures
have been shown to effectively promote gas hydrate formation and are
a potential enabler for the development of hydrate-based gas storage
technologies. Here, we offer an insightful perspective on using porous
structures as nanoreactors for achieving fast gas hydrate formation
for gas storage applications. We critically discuss and elucidate
the working mechanisms of nanoreactors and identify the criteria for
efficient nanoreactors. Based on the concepts founded, we propose
a theoretical framework for designing next-generation porous materials
for delivering better promoting effects on gas hydrate formation.