Abstract: Disclosed are a thermoelectric device and method of making the device. The device has a plurality of thermoelectric elements electrically in series and thermally in parallel, where the individual thermoelectric elements have a thermoelectric body formed of macroscopically disordered material with electrical contact surfaces at opposite ends and a multi-layered diffusion barrier coating on the electrical contact surfaces.

Abstract: A material for reversibly storing hydrogen is formed from a lightweight matrix which is chemically and structurally modified to improve its hydrogen storage properties. The utilization of a material which can be any of a number of different disordered structures makes possible the modification of local order chemical environments of the material to increase hydrogen storage capacity and/or improve absorption and desorption properties. Lightweight modifier elements structurally modify the local chemical environments of the matrix to provide a material having an increased density of storage sites to increase hydrogen storage capacity. Transition and rare earth modifier elements structurally modify the local chemical environments to provide a material with an increased density of catalytically active sites for dissociating hydrogen molecules to increase the rate at which hydrogen absorption and desorption can be accomplished.