Advances in the application of nanotechnology in enabling a ‘hydrogen economy’

Hydrogen is gaining a great deal of attention as an energy carrier as well as an alternative fuel. However, in order to fully implement the so called ‘hydrogen economy’ significant technical challenges need to be overcome in the fields of production and storage of hydrogen and its point of use especially in fuel cells for the automotive industry. The purpose of this review is to present and discuss recent advances in the use of nanomaterials for solar hydrogen production and on-board solid state storage of hydrogen. The role of nanotechnology in enhancing the efficiency of fuel cells and reducing their cost is also discussed.