IISER Thiruvananthapuram team creates compound that releases hydrogen and methane on heating

Key facts

• Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram (IISER) developed a solid compound called magnesium hydridomethylzincate, made of magnesium, zinc, hydrogen, and carbon, that releases fuel gases when heated moderately.
• When heated in solution to 100°C the compound released hydrogen, and when its crystals were heated without a solvent at 80-110°C it released both hydrogen and methane.
• The findings were published in the journal Science Advances on October 7, 2026.
• The team found that methane was released before hydrogen through successive chemical reactions, and each unit of the compound's paired molecular structure could produce two molecules each of hydrogen and methane.
• As magnesium hydridomethylzincate is solid at room temperature and releases the gases at relatively low temperatures, it could offer an alternative to transporting methane and hydrogen as compressed gases.
• The compound is highly sensitive to moisture, and it is not yet known whether it can be replenished once its gaseous contents are depleted.