Liquid organic for hydrogen carrier could be a convenient for a simple energetic transition from fossil energy sources to the hydrogen economy. The existing network oil distribution could be used. The main problem is to find efficient and low cost catalyst in order to produce hydrogen form organic liquid and to rehydrogenate the deshydrogenate organic liquid. Few molecules received have been selected. Recently, we published a new concept involving the couple amine/nitrile as a couple for liquid organic  hydrogen carrier of the futur (Dalton Transaction "frontier" ; 2014, 43, 6283-6286).

This approach is based on recently breakthroughs obtained in catalysis. They deals with hydrogenation of nitriles under very smooth conditions by our group  (cat 1)  (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2010, 132 , 7854–7855.) and oxydant free conversion of primary amines into nitriles by the group of N. Szmyszack University of Michigan (cat 2) ( J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2013, 135 , 16352–16355.).

Research to find efficient low cost catalyst able to do this reversible reaction under smooth conditions is under progress.