We developed a sample holder for in situ measurement of hydrogen absorbing alloy. In order to prevent the hydrogen absorption by vanadium, copper is coated with 2 pm thickness on inner surface of the vanadium holder. The effect of copper coating and the performance of the holder were evaluated by neutron diffraction and PDF profiles. The lattice parameters a and c of La(2)Ni(7) with Ce(2)Ni(7)-type structure were refined as 0.505921(4) and 2.468608(4) nm by Rietveld analysis. The Cu-Cu correlation peak around r = 0.255 nm was not observed in the PDF profile. Thus the holder is useful for in situ measurement of hydrogen absorbing alloy. The diffraction and PDF profiles of La(2)Ni(2)D(x) (0 < x < 10.5) were collected using a deuterium pressure of 3.7 MPa, and the changes of crystal and local structures were clearly observed. (C) 2010 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.