Dibenzyltoluene-based liquid organic hydrogen carrier systems: Recent advances, challenges, and future perspectives

Year 2025, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 30 - 38, 21.08.2025

Kübra Al , Aysel Kantürk Figen

https://doi.org/10.14744/cetj.2025.0003

Abstract

This review provides a comprehensive overview of dibenzyltoluene (DBT)-based liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) systems, a promising technology for the safe, efficient, and scalable storage and transportation of hydrogen. Owing to their high thermal and chemical stability, low toxicity, and compatibility with existing energy infrastructure, DBT and its fully hydrogenated form (H₁₈-DBT) are among the most advanced candidates for industrial LOHC applications. Despite these advantages, several technical challenges remain, including high dehydrogenation temperatures (>300 °C), catalyst deactivation (coke formation and sintering), and slow molecular diffusion within porous supports. Recent progress in catalyst design — particularly through the development of bimetallic catalysts (e.g., Pd–Ni) and nanostructured supports — has significantly improved reaction efficiency and cycle stability. This review critically assesses the current state of DBT-based LOHC systems, highlights ongoing advancements, and identifies future research directions needed to overcome existing limitations and enable the commercial-scale deployment of this technology within a sustainable hydrogen economy.

Keywords

Liquid organics hydrogen carrier , hydrogen storage and release , hydrogenation , dehydrogenation , Dibenzyltoluene-Perhydrodibenzyltoluene

Thanks

Kübra AL expresses her gratitude to TUBITAK-BIDEB (2211-A) for the doctoral fellowship.

References

• REFERENCES
• [1] International Energy Agency. Total energy supply by sources, World. 2022. Available at: https://www.iea.org/world/energy-mix. Accessed 2025 Mar 8.
• [2] Niermann M, Timmerberg S, Drünert S, Kaltschmitt M. Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers and alternatives for international transport of renewable hydrogen. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2021;135:110171. [CrossRef]
• [3] Giese LB, Reiff-Stephan J. Hydrogen and Usability of Hydrogen Storage Technologies Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC) versus other Physical and Chemical Storage Methods. 2021. [CrossRef]
• [4] Kamran M, Turzyński M. Exploring hydrogen energy systems: A comprehensive review of technologies, applications, prevailing trends, and associated challenges. J Energy Storage 2024;96:112601. [CrossRef]
• [5] Preuster P, Papp C, Wasserscheid P. Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs): toward a hydrogen-free hydrogen economy. Acc Chem Res 2017;50:74-85. [CrossRef]
• [6] Modisha PM, Ouma CN, Garidzirai R, Wasserscheid P, Bessarabov D. The prospect of hydrogen storage using liquid organic hydrogen carriers. Energy Fuels 2019;33:2778-2796. [CrossRef]
• [7] Niermann M, Beckendorff A, Kaltschmitt M, Bonhoff K. Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC)–Assessment based on chemical and economic properties. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2019;44:6631-6654. [CrossRef]
• [8] Rao PC, Yoon M. Potential liquid-organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC) systems: A review on recent progress. Energies 2020;13. [CrossRef]
• [9] Bourane A, Elanany M, Pham TV, Katikaneni SP. An overview of organic liquid phase hydrogen carriers. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2016;41:23075-23091. [CrossRef]
• [10] Kim TW, Jeong H, Baik JH, Suh YW. State-of-the-art catalysts for hydrogen storage in liquid organic hydrogen carriers. Chem Lett 2022;51:239-255. [CrossRef]
• [11] Chu C, Wu K, Luo B, Cao Q, Zhang H. Hydrogen storage by liquid organic hydrogen carriers: catalyst, renewable carrier, and technology–a review. Carbon Resour Convers 2023;6:334-351. [CrossRef]
• [12] Sievi G, Geburtig D, Skeledzic T, Bösmann A, Preuster P, Brummel O, et al. Towards an efficient liquid organic hydrogen carrier fuel cell concept. Energy Environ Sci 2019;12:2305-2314. [CrossRef]
• [13] Kirichenko OA, Kustov LM. Recent progress in development of supported palladium catalysts for dehydrogenation of heterocyclic liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC). Int J Hydrogen Energy 2024;88:97-119. [CrossRef]
• [14] Perreault P, Van Hoecke L, Pourfallah H, Kummamuru NB, Boruntea CR, Preuster P. Critical challenges towards the commercial rollouts of a LOHC-based H2 economy. Curr Opin Green Sustain Chem 2023;41. [CrossRef]
• [15] Ali A, Shaikh MN. Recent developments in catalyst design for liquid organic hydrogen carriers: Bridging the gap to affordable hydrogen storage. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2024;78:1-21. [CrossRef]
• [16] Yolcular S, Olgun Ö. Hydrogen storage in the form of methylcyclohexane. Energy Sources A Recovery Util Environ Eff 2007;30:149-156. [CrossRef]
• [17] Permude P, Tang C, Ahmad A, Chen H, Frankcombe T, Liu Y. Effective catalysts for typical liquid organic hydrogen carrier N-Ethylcarbazole. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2025;98:1492-1509. [CrossRef]
• [18] Jorschick H, Geißelbrecht M, Eßl M, Preuster P, Bösmann A, Wasserscheid P. Benzyltoluene/dibenzyltoluene- based mixtures as suitable liquid organic hydrogen carrier systems for low temperature applications. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2020;45:14897-14906. [CrossRef]
• [19] Barthos R, Lónyi F, Shi Y, Szegedi Á, Vikár A, Solt HE, et al. Catalytic Aspects of Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier Technology. Catalysts 2025;15:427. [CrossRef]
• [20] Gulbagca F, Yildiz B, Mustafov SD, Sen F. The synthesis and characterization of Pt-based catalysts for hydrogen storage applications. In: Nanomaterials for Hydrogen Storage Applications. Elsevier; 2021. p. 37-56. [CrossRef]
• [21] Salman MS, Rambhujun N, Pratthana C, Srivastava K, Aguey-Zinsou KF. Catalysis in liquid organic hydrogen storage: recent advances, challenges, and perspectives. Ind Eng Chem Res 2022;61:6067-6105. [CrossRef]
• [22] Sisakova K, Podrojkova N, Orinakova R, Orinak A. Novel catalysts for dibenzyltoluene as a potential Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier use—A mini-review. Energy Fuels 2021;35:7608-7623. [CrossRef]
• [23] Hydrogenious Technologies GmbH. Erlangen, Germany. Available from: https://hydrogenious.net/. Accessed 2025 Jun 4.
• [24] Geburtig D, Preuster P, Bösmann A, Müller K, Wasserscheid P. Chemical utilization of hydrogen from fluctuating energy sources–Catalytic transfer hydrogenation from charged Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier systems. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2016;41:1010-1017. [CrossRef]
• [25] Shi L, Zhou Y, Qi S, Smith KJ, Tan X, Yan J, et al. Pt catalysts supported on H₂ and O₂ plasma-treated Al₂O₃ for hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of the liquid organic hydrogen carrier pair dibenzyltoluene and perhydrodibenzyltoluene. ACS Catal 2020;10:10661-10671. [CrossRef]
• [26] Leinweber A, Müller K. Hydrogenation of the liquid organic hydrogen carrier compound monobenzyl toluene: Reaction pathway and kinetic effects. Energy Technol 2018;6:513–520. [CrossRef]
• [27] Kim TW, Kim M, Kim SK, Choi YN, Jung M, Oh H, Suh YW. Remarkably fast low-temperature hydrogen storage into aromatic benzyltoluenes over MgO-supported Ru nanoparticles with homolytic and heterolytic H₂ adsorption. Appl Catal B Environ 2021;286:119889. [CrossRef]
• [28] Li J, Zhang Q, Zhang J, Gao R, Zhang X, Zou JJ, Pan L. Intrinsic kinetics of dibenzyltoluene hydrogenation over a supported Ni catalyst for green hydrogen storage. Ind Eng Chem Res 2023;63:220–232. [CrossRef]
• [29] Jorschick H, Geißelbrecht M, Eßl M, Preuster P, Bösmann A, Wasserscheid P. Benzyltoluene/dibenzyltoluene-based mixtures as suitable liquid organic hydrogen carrier systems for low temperature applications. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2020;45:14897–14906. [CrossRef]
• [30] Kim TW, Jeong H, Kim D, Jo Y, Jung HJ, Park JH, et al. Feasible coupling of CH₄/H₂ mixtures to H₂ storage in liquid organic hydrogen carrier systems. J Power Sources 2022;541:231721. [CrossRef]
• [31] Ding Y, Dong Y, Zhang H, Zhao Y, Yang M, Cheng H. A highly adaptable Ni catalyst for liquid organic hydrogen carriers hydrogenation. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2021;46:27026–27036. [CrossRef]
• [32] Zhang J, Yang F, Wang B, Li D, Wei M, Fang T, et al. Heterogeneous catalysts in N-heterocycles and aromatics as liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs): History, present status and future. Materials 2023;16:3735. [CrossRef]
• [33] Jorschick H, Preuster P, Dürr S, Seidel A, Müller K, Bösmann A, Wasserscheid P. Hydrogen storage using a hot pressure swing reactor. Energy Environ Sci 2017;10:1652–1659. [CrossRef]
• [34] Jorschick H, Dürr S, Preuster P, Bösmann A, Wasserscheid P. Operational stability of a LOHC-based hot pressure swing reactor for hydrogen storage. Energy Technol 2019;7:146–152. [CrossRef]
• [35] Brückner N, Obesser K, Bösmann A, Teichmann D, Arlt W, Dungs J, et al. Evaluation of industrially applied heat-transfer fluids as liquid organic hydrogen carrier systems. ChemSusChem 2014;7:229–235. [CrossRef]
• [36] Lee S, Lee J, Kim T, Han G, Lee J, Lee K, et al. Pt/CeO₂ catalyst synthesized by combustion method for dehydrogenation of perhydro-dibenzyltoluene as liquid organic hydrogen carrier: Effect of pore size and metal dispersion. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2021;46:5520–5529. [CrossRef]
• [37] Alconada K, Barrio VL. Evaluation of bimetallic Pt–Co and Pt–Ni catalysts in LOHC dehydrogenation. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2024;51:243–255. [CrossRef]
• [38] Auer F, Hupfer A, Bösmann A, Szesni N, Wasserscheidpeter P. Influence of the nanoparticle size on hydrogen release and side product formation in liquid organic hydrogen carrier systems with supported platinum catalysts. Catal Sci Technol 2020;10:6669–6678. [CrossRef]
• [39] Modisha P, Garidzirai R, Güneş H, Bozbag SE, Rommel S, Uzunlar E, et al. A promising catalyst for the dehydrogenation of perhydro-dibenzyltoluene: Pt/Al₂O₃ prepared by supercritical CO₂ deposition. Catalysts 2022;12:489. [CrossRef]
• [40] Kim CH, Lee MW, Jang JS, Lee SH, Lee KY. Enhanced activity of a WOₓ-incorporated Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst for the dehydrogenation of homocyclic LOHCs: Effects of impregnation sequence on Pt–WOₓ interactions. Fuel 2022;313:122654. [CrossRef]
• [41] Auer F, Blaumeiser D, Bauer T, Bösmann A, Szesni N, Libuda J, Wasserscheid P. Boosting the activity of hydrogen release from liquid organic hydrogen carrier systems by sulfur-additives to Pt on alumina catalysts. Catal Sci Technol 2019;9:3537–3547. [CrossRef]
• [42] Auer F, Hupfer A, Bösmann A, Szesni N, Wasserscheidpeter P. Influence of the nanoparticle size on hydrogen release and side product formation in liquid organic hydrogen carrier systems with supported platinum catalysts. Catal Sci Technol 2020;10:6669–6678. [CrossRef]
• [43] Lee S, Lee J, Kim T, Han G, Lee J, Lee K, et al. Pt/CeO₂ catalyst synthesized by combustion method for dehydrogenation of perhydro-dibenzyltoluene as liquid organic hydrogen carrier: Effect of pore size and metal dispersion. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2021;46:5520–5529. [CrossRef]
• [44] Park TI, Lee SH, Lee KY. Characteristics of La-doped Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst prepared by solvent-deficient method and effect on enhancement of dehydrogenation of perhydrodibenzyltoluene. Korean J Chem Eng 2023;40:97–103. [CrossRef]
• [45] Musavuli KC, Modisha P, Everson RC, Malakhov A, Bessarabov D. Metal foam as surface-extended catalyst support structure for process intensification in the dehydrogenation of perhydro-dibenzyltoluene on a Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst. Catalysts 2025;15:44. [CrossRef]