MgH(2)-TiH(2) nanocomposites have been obtained by reactive ball milling of elemental powders under 8 MPa of hydrogen pressure. The composites consist of a mixture of β-rutile MgH(2), γ-orthorhombic high pressure MgH(2) and ε-tetragonal TiH(2) phases with nanosized crystallites ranging from 4 to 12 nm. In situ hydrogen absorption curves on milling reveal that nanocomposite formation occurs in less than 50 min through the consecutive synthesis of the TiH(2) and MgH(2) phases. The abrasive and catalytic properties of TiH(2) speed up the formation of the MgH(2) phase. Thermodynamic, kinetic and cycling hydrogenation properties have been determined for the 0.7MgH(2)-0.3TiH(2) composite and compared to nanometric MgH(2). Only the MgH(2) phase desorbs hydrogen reversibly at moderate temperature (523 to 598 K) and pressure (10(-3) to 1 MPa). The presence of TiH(2) does not modify the thermodynamic properties of the Mg/MgH(2) system. However, the MgH(2)-TiH(2) nanocomposite exhibits outstanding kinetic properties and cycling stability. At 573 K, H-sorption takes place in less than 100 s. This is 20 times faster than for a pure nanometric MgH(2) powder. We demonstrate that the TiH(2) phase inhibits grain coarsening of Mg, which allows extended nucleation of the MgH(2) phase in Mg nanoparticles before a continuous and blocking MgH(2) hydride layer is formed. The low crystallinity of the TiH(2) phase and its hydrogenation properties are also compatible with a gateway mechanism for hydrogen transfer from the gas phase to Mg. Mg-rich MgH(2)-TiH(2) nanocomposites are an excellent media for hydrogen storage at moderate temperatures.

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Selected hydrides (TiH 2 , ZrH 2 ), chlorides (VCl 3 , ScCl 3 ) or oxides (V 2 O 5 ) utilized as additives facilitating hydrogen release and uptake for magnesium hydride were investigated using mechanochemical treatment and in-situ synchrotron radiation powder X-ray diffraction studies. The fastest hydrogen desorption and absorption kinetics for MgH 2 was observed for a sample with 5 mol% V 2 O 5 at 320°C. Additional activation of the system (2 cycles, vacuum/p(H 2 ) ∼150 bar, 450°C) leads to significant improvement of the kinetics even at lower temperatures, 270°C. The observed prolific effect is achieved through the full reduction of vanadium oxides and formation of an efficient vanadium catalyst as nanoparticles and possibly interfacial effects in the MgO/Mg/MgH 2 /V system introduced during cycling hydrogen release and uptake in hydrogen/dynamic vacuum at 450°C. Nanostructuring as well as hydrogen permeability via vanadium nanoparticles may improve kinetics and reduce the apparent activation energy for hydrogen release. Thus, the enhancement of hydrogen release/uptake in the MgH 2 owe to "in situ" formation of vanadium nanoparticles by reduction of V 2 O 5 .