Porous materials containing coordinatively unsaturated metal atoms are being explored as hydrogen storage materials.  In metal-cyanide frameworks with lattice vacancies, such as Fe₄[Fe(CN)₆]₃, as well as in anionic metal-cyanide frameworks with interstitial cations, open coordination sites can be generated by removing metal-bound water. The effect of these sites on hydrogen binding has been studied by measuring the gas sorption capacities of light-weight metal-cyanide frameworks. Neutron diffraction studies of these materials in the presence of hydrogen have also been undertaken to locate the hydrogen binding sites.

We are also investigating porous solids that can bind electron-rich metal complexes. These metals are expected to have a stronger metal-H₂ interaction due to a stronger π back-bonding interaction. Thus far, frameworks containing exposed alkyne and benzene groups have been shown to coordinate carbonyl complexes of group 6 and group 8 metals. Work towards removing the carbonyl ligands and coordinating dihydrogen will also be discussed.