A catalytic electrode, cell, system and process for absorbing and storing hydrogen (H.sub.2) and deuterium (D.sub.2) from the gaseous to the solid ionic form. The cell includes a non-conductive sealed housing and a conductive catalytic electrode positioned within the housing which absorbs H.sub.2 and/or D.sub.2 gas and stores it in a solid ionic form. These electrodes are formed of palladium (Pd), titanium (Ti), or zirconium (Zr). Each end of the electrode is plated with a layer of gold and encapsulated with a curable resin to form a confinement zone for H.+-. and/or D.+-. storage. The process includes connecting an external d.c. electric power source to each confinement zone during H.sub.2 and/or D.sub.2 gas loading of the electrode to cause a plasma-like reaction to occur which drives the H.sub.2 and/or D.sub.2 in the electrode to each encapsulated confinement to effect long-term storage of the ion form H.+-. and D.+-. in a solid form for later use.