Catalytic systems for dehydrogenative lactonization of 1,4-butanediol into gamma-Butyrolactone-butyrolactone and the reversal hydrogenation for regeneration of 1,4-butanediol have been successfully developed. Dehydrogenative lactonization effectively proceeds under solvent-free conditions giving hydrogen and gamma-Butyrolactone-butyrolactone in both 96% yield after 9 h at 140 degrees C by the employment of an iridium catalyst bearing 6,6'-dionato-2,2'-bipyridine as a functional ligand. Reversal hydrogenation of gamma-Butyrolactone-butyrolactone into 1,4-butanediol proceeds almost quantitatively under 8 atm of hydrogen after 72 h at 130 degrees C in the presence of the same iridium catalyst along with 6,6'-dihydroxy-2,2'-bipyridine and triethylamine as additives. On the basis of these results, construction of new hydrogen storage system using a cheap oxygen-containing organic resources (1,4-butanediol and gamma-Butyrolactone gamma-butyrolactone) has been achieved. (C) 2019 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.