Ag nanowires coated with Ag/Pd alloy sheaths and their use as substrates for reversible absorption and desorption of hydrogen.

When the surfaces of Ag nanowires were coated with thin sheaths of Pd/Ag alloys, they exhibited hydrogen absorption/desorption behaviors and capacities similar to those of pure Pd powders or nanotubes. The stronger mechanical strengths of these cable-like nanostructures also allowed them to undergo more absorption/desorption cycles with no morphological changes. These nanostructures can be used as a good model system to study the interaction between hydrogen and metal alloys with relatively low concentrations of Pd (<10%) with respect to structural, thermodynamic, and kinetic features.