A study was made of an enhancement of the hydrogenation properties of Pd-Pr layers, due to ion tracks formed upon irradiation with 120MeV Ag10+ ions. An approximately 17.8% increase in the H stoichiometry value during loading, near to maximum removal (about 31%) during deloading, and an increase in the active layer thickness were observed upon ion irradiation. Non-equilibrium structural changes during ion-induced shock-wave generation resulted in the formation of nanotracks throughout the film thickness. These provided 2-way transport routes for H diffusion. This provided an effective methodology for improving the hydrogenation properties of materials.

Nanotracks as Transport Routes for Enhanced and Reversible Hydrogen Diffusion in Swift Heavy Ion Irradiated Pd–Pr Layers. S.Kala, B.R.Mehta, S.A.Khan, D.K.Avasthi: Applied Physics Letters, 2007, 90[15], 153121