The effect of the N atom on the hydrogen release rate from heterocyclic compounds was studied by comparing the dehydrogenation rate of dodecahydro-N-ethylcarbazole, dodecahydrocarbazole and dodecahydrofluorene. Over a 5 wt% Pd/C catalyst, hydrogen recovery was fastest (TOF 60 min(-1) at 443 K and 101 kPa) from dodecahydro-N-ethylcarbazole and similar to 3 times faster than that of dodecahydrocarbazole. Dodecahydrofluorene dehydrogenation was the slowest among the compounds examined, with less than 1 wt% H-2 recovered after more than 20 h at 443 K, although selectivity to the completely dehydrogenated product was 95%. Despite catalyst poisoning by the N in dodecahydrocarbazole and its dehydrogenated product, the presence of the N in the heterocycle increased the dehydrogenation reaction rate compared to dodecahydrofluorene, demonstrating that heterocycles are better candidates for H-2 storage than polycycles. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.