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Upon exposure to hydrogen, metals like palladium and magnesium undergo a phase transition from a metal to a dielectric. The plasmonic response of metal hydride nanoparticles can be probed during their phase transition and such nanoparticles can be utilized as building blocks for applications. In this thesis, three applications using the phase transition of metal hydride nanoparticles are investigated. An all-optical hydrogen sensor is designed, using nano-glancing angle deposition to fabricate palladium nanohelices. The circular dichroism response can be probed and hydrogen concentrations in the atmosphere can be detected. To help the advancement of miniaturization, metasurfaces can be used to fabricate ultra-thin optical elements. Here, a polarization generator with magnesium nanoparticles, which allows for generation of different polarizations of light by reversibly switching between the hydrogenated and dehydrogenated state of magnesium, is presented. At last, a dynamic display is demonstrated, by applying a magnesium mirror on top of a Fabry-Pérot resonator. While the magnesium is in the metal state, all light is reflected on its surface, but when the metal to hydride transition is performed, the mirror gets partially transparent and brilliant colors appear.