TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The composition further comprises at least one group IA alkali metal, and aluminum. The transition metal is iron, ruthenium, osmium, cobalt, rhodium, iridium, nickel, palladium, or platinum. The group IA alkali metal is lithium, sodium, or potassium. The high electron mobility component is carbon, silicon, germanium, tin, silver bromide, cadmium telluride, mercury (II) selenide, mercury (II) telluride, aluminum arsenide, gallium arsenide, gallium antimonide, indium phosphide, indium antimonide, silicon carbide, ZnSiP2 (sic), CdSiP2 (sic), CdSnAs2 (sic), CdIn2Te4 (sic), Hg5In2Te8 (sic), lead (II) selenide, lead (II) telluride, bismuth telluride, or tellurium. The source of ionizing radiation is thorium. The transition metal is nickel; the group IA alkali metal is lithium, sodium, or potassium; the high electron mobility component is germanium; and the source of ionizing radiation is thorium.Preferred Composition: The group IA alkali metal and the aluminum are in a combined amount of 4-98 (preferably 4-50) wt.% of the composition. They are in a mole ratio of 10:1-1:10 moles of alkali metal to moles of aluminum.Preferred Method: The manufacture of the composition further involves exposing the mixture to the source of ionizing radiation. EXAMPLE - An arc melting crucible was loaded with 120 g nickel, 40 g aluminum, 20 g lithium, and 20 g germanium, and transferred to the vacuum chamber of the furnace. The chamber was placed under a dynamic vacuum for several minutes, and refilled with argon. This pump and refill cycle was repeated 1 or 2 more times to remove any remaining gaseous contaminants from the chamber. The upper, movable electrode was placed into position, and the furnace was powered. It was slowly and continuously moved around the sample to facilitate melting. Power to furnace was shut off and the sample was allowed to cool. The crucible was transferred to an inert atmosphere glove box or stored under vacuum to minimize exposure of the sample to the atmosphere. The alloy produced was cut into 1 g samples and placed in contact with an approximately equal weight of thorium-containing metal rod. The sample was contacted with distilled water, and hydrogen production was confirmed by adding the composition to a fuel cell.