Nanosize-induced drastic drop in equilibrium hydrogen pressure for hydride formation and structural stabilization in Pd-Rh solid-solution alloys

J Am Chem Soc. 2012 Aug 1;134(30):12390-3. doi: 10.1021/ja305031y. Epub 2012 Jul 19.

Abstract

We have synthesized and characterized homogeneous solid-solution alloy nanoparticles of Pd and Rh, which are immiscible with each other in the equilibrium bulk state at around room temperature. The Pd-Rh alloy nanoparticles can absorb hydrogen at ambient pressure and the hydrogen pressure of Pd-Rh alloys for hydrogen storage is dramatically decreased by more than 4 orders of magnitude from the corresponding pressure in the metastable bulk state. The solid-solution state is still maintained in the nanoparticles even after hydrogen absorption/desorption, in contrast to the metastable bulks which are separated into Pd and Rh during the process.