The electron shells are still around the nucleus, unless its ionized, right?
So how do you get 2 nuclei to fuse when those protective electron shells are still in the way??
That’s my problem with low-temp nuclear “fusion”.
The problem is actually proton to proton repulsion and is known as the Coulomb barrier. Here's the cold fusion solution.
Maybe those electron shells are blown aside by the constant ionic wind created by the hundred thousand misses for every hit.