水素の貯蔵・運搬を容易にする技術（Technology to facilitate storage and transport of hydrogen）

クリーンなエネルギー源として注目されているが、爆発性などで扱いにくい水素の貯蔵・運搬を容易にする技術を、産業技術総合研究所など日米の共同研究チームが開発した。新しい触媒で水素を液体の「燃料」にし、石油と同じように扱えるようにする。
１８日付専門誌ネイチャー・ケミストリー（電子版）に発表された論文によると、チームは金属の一つ、イリジウムを含む触媒を開発。この触媒を使うと、水素と二酸化炭素から「ギ酸」と呼ばれる物質を、常温に近い条件で比較的簡単に作れることを確かめた。
ギ酸は蟻（あり）や蜂などに含まれる液体。気体の水素にある爆発性などがなく、タンクでの貯蔵や、タンクローリーやパイプラインといった既存のインフラでの運搬は容易だ。目的地まで運んだあと、同じ触媒を条件を変えて使うと逆に水素を取り出せ、燃料電池やエコカーなどで利用できる。水素は、次世代エネルギーの一つで、何よりもクリーンですから貯蔵や運搬が容易になれば利用範囲は大きく広がるでしょうね。

Has been attracting attention as a clean energy source, was developed by joint research teams, such as Japan and the United States National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, the technology to facilitate storage and transportation of hydrogen and cumbersome, such as explosive. To "fuel" of liquid hydrogen at a new catalyst, and to handle in the same way as oil.

According to a paper published in the (electronic version), the team is one of the metal, including the iridium catalyst developed a specialized magazine Nature Chemistry 18 date. With this catalyst, it was confirmed that a relatively easy to make in the conditions close to room temperature, a substance called "formic acid" from hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

Formic acid is a liquid, such as bees and ants that is included in (with). There is no such explosive in the gaseous hydrogen, and storage in tanks, the existing infrastructure such as transport in the tank truck or pipeline is easy. Dents carried to the destination, to retrieve the hydrogen, in contrast, use the same catalyst under various conditions, such as the eco-car available in the fuel cell and. Hydrogen is one of the next-generation energy, greater range of use is if it will spread easily come from clean storage and transport more than anything.