The slow formation kinetics of hydrogen clathrate hydrate presents a significant challenge for its application as a hydrogen storage medium. This study explores two complementary approaches to enhance the kinetic promotion of hydrogen enclathration: (i) blending hydrate seed solutions with liquid-phase thermodynamic promoters and (ii) utilizing superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) as a dispersion matrix for tetrahydrofuran (THF) solutions. Cyclopentane hydrate seeds facilitated the rapid nucleation of cyclopentane + hydrogen mixed hydrates, accelerating the initial formation rate by increasing the available surface area. However, the total hydrogen storage capacity was limited due to diffusion constraints. This limitation was overcome by incorporating a cyclopentane liquid-phase promoter, which enabled the simultaneous formation of cyclopentane and hydrogen hydrates with a vertically porous structure, whereas THF was found unsuitable for this blended system due to its miscibility with water. Separately, SAPs loaded with THF solutions were investigated for rapid hydrogen enclathration through solution-borne and hydrate-borne synthetic pathways. The study revealed that hydrogen uptake was significantly improved at higher THF concentrations (5.56 mol%), with a storage capacity of approximately 20 mmol H₂/mol water in the hydrate-borne route. Spectroscopic analysis highlighted a unique tuning phenomenon in sII hydrates, particularly influenced by the non-uniform THF distribution within SAPs. These findings provide valuable insights into the roles of hydrate seed-liquid promoter systems and SAP-based dispersion matrices in accelerating hydrogen hydrate formation, paving the way for efficient and sustainable hydrogen storage solutions.
