High capacity hydrogen absorption in transition metal-ethylene complexes observed via nanogravimetry

Using a surface acoustic wave based high resolution gravimetric technique where samples close to a monolayer are measured we observe high weight percentage hydrogen (H(2)) uptake with rapid kinetics at room temperature in transition metal (TM) ethylene (C(2)H(4)) complexes formed by laser ablation. By ablating titanium (Ti) in C(2)H(4) we obtain a complex that exhibits 12 wt % uptake of H(2) with substitution by deuterium providing a doubling. Mass spectroscopic studies during ablation of Ti show presence of a species, with a mass = 78 amu, a likely candidate for the high H(2) uptake.