Electronic origin of superabundant vacancies in Pd hydride under high hydrogen pressures
Formation of a defect face-centered cubic structure containing metal vacancies in Ni-H and Pd-H alloys was observed experimentally at high temperature annealing under high hydrogen pressure. Appearance of vacancies in the fcc structure of the Pd hydride and several other metal hydrides can be accounted for by electronic origin assuming that valence electron energy is minimized due to Hume-Rothery effects.