A unified descriptor framework for hydrogen storage capacity and equilibrium pressure in interstitial hydrides

Abstract

Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier, yet its practical deployment is limited by the lack of storage materials that simultaneously achieve high storage capacity ($w$) and practical equilibrium pressure at room temperature ($P_{\rm eq,RT}$). Interstitial metal hydrides offer fast kinetics and favorable thermodynamics (high $P_{\rm eq,RT}$) but suffer from intrinsically low w. Here, we establish a physically interpretable, data-driven framework to uncover descriptor-property relationships in interstitial hydrides using a curated database of pressure-composition-temperature measurements (Digital Hydrogen Platform, DigHyd) and white-box symbolic regression. Strikingly, the analysis reveals a clear separation of governing mechanisms, in which $w$ is governed by geometric and lattice conditions, captured by the average atomic radius ($\left\langle r_M \right\rangle$) and average thermal conductivity ($\left\langleκ\right\rangle$), with an optimal regime of $r_M \sim 1.47 Å$ and relatively low $\left\langleκ\right\rangle$. In contrast, $P_{\rm eq,RT}$ is governed by elastic properties, captured by the average shear modulus ($\left\langle G \right\rangle$) and average Poisson's ratio ($\left\langle ν\right\rangle$), reflecting the role of lattice rigidity and mechanical compliance. These relationships are translated into compositional optimization pathways that follow the descriptor trends above, enabling the design of candidate materials with enhanced w under practical equilibrium conditions ($P_{\rm eq,RT} \sim 0.1$ MPa). This work establishes a general, interpretable strategy for physics-informed design of energy materials systems.