Molecular Insights into Caprock Integrity of Subsurface Hydrogen Storage: Perspective on Hydrogen-induced Swelling and Mechanical Response

Abstract

The geological storage of hydrogen (H_2) requires reliable long-term caprock sealing, yet the nanoscale interactions between H_2 and clay minerals remain critically underexplored despite their importance for storage security. This lack of understanding has limited the ability to predict mechanical stability and leakage risks in H_2 storage formations. Using molecular simulations, this study investigates the swelling behavior and mechanical properties of sodium montmorillonite (Mt), a common smectite clay, under varying hydration states and interlayer H_2 contents. Results show that H_2 accelerates hydration-state transitions, narrows the stability window of crystalline swelling, and promotes asymmetric plume formation in confined interlayers. H_2 alters cation and water coordination, thereby weakening Na^+--Mt electrostatic interactions and modulating H-bond networks at the interface and in the bulk. Mechanical analysis reveals pronounced anisotropy in Mt. In-plane stiffness is mainly governed by basal spacing expansion, whereas out-of-plane stiffness is highly sensitive to the initial presence of water or H_2, which weaken interlayer cohesion. Tensile and compressive strengths in the in-plane directions follow in-plane stiffness trends, while the out-of-plane tensile strength is governed by Mt--water H-bonds. The presence of H_2 further promotes Mt sheets separation by disrupting nanoscale liquid bridges. Collectively, these results provide the first atomistic-scale evidence that intercalated H_2 reshapes swelling energetics, elastic anisotropy, and failure pathways in Mt, highlighting critical nanoscale mechanisms that may compromise caprock integrity during underground H_2 storage.