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Niu S, Liu S, Liu B, Shi X, Liu S, Liu R, Yao M, Cui T, Liu B. High energetic polymeric nitrogen sheet confined in a graphene matrix. RSC Adv 2018; 8:30912-30918. [PMID: 35548752 PMCID: PMC9085521 DOI: 10.1039/c8ra03453b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Polymeric nitrogen, as a potential high-energy-density material (HEDM), has many applications, such as in energy storage systems, explosives and propellants. Nowadays it is very urgent to find a suitable method to stabilize polymeric nitrogen at ambient conditions. Herein, we present a new hybrid structure where polymeric nitrogen sheets are sandwiched between graphene sheets in the form of a three-dimensional crystal. According to ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) calculations and phonon spectrum calculations, it is demonstrated that polymeric nitrogen sheets are stable at ambient pressure and temperature. The hybrid material has a higher nitrogen content (the weight ratio of nitrogen is up to 53.84%), and the corresponding energy density is 5.2 kJ g−1. The hybrid material (A7@graphene system) has a satisfactory energy density, detonation velocity and detonation pressure. Importantly, the hybrid material can be preserved up to 450 K, and above this temperature, the polymeric nitrogen sheets break up into polymeric nitrogen chains or nitrogen gases and release tremendous energy. Further calculations reveal that small charge transfer between the polymeric nitrogen sheets and graphene sheets creates a weak electrostatic attraction compared with other hybrid materials, which is just good for the stabilization of the polymeric nitrogen sheets at ambient conditions, and favors energy release in a gentle way. The proposed confinement hybrid material which has a high energy density and a gentle energy release temperature, provides a highly promising method for the capture and application of polymeric nitrogen in a controllable way. The hybrid material (A7@graphene system) provides a highly promising method for the capture and storage of polymeric nitrogen in a controllable way.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Shifeng Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- Jilin University
- Changchun 130012
- P. R. China
| | - Shijie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- Jilin University
- Changchun 130012
- P. R. China
- School of Physics and Engineering
| | - Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- Jilin University
- Changchun 130012
- P. R. China
| | - Xuhan Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- Jilin University
- Changchun 130012
- P. R. China
| | - Shuang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- Jilin University
- Changchun 130012
- P. R. China
| | - Ran Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- Jilin University
- Changchun 130012
- P. R. China
| | - Mingguang Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- Jilin University
- Changchun 130012
- P. R. China
| | - Tian Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- Jilin University
- Changchun 130012
- P. R. China
| | - Bingbing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- Jilin University
- Changchun 130012
- P. R. China
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52
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Santoro M, Gorelli FA, Bini R, Haines J. Intermolecular Interactions in Highly Disordered, Confined Dense N 2. J Phys Chem Lett 2017; 8:2406-2411. [PMID: 28498676 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.7b00902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Molecular nitrogen is a benchmark system for condensed matter and, in particular, for looking at universal properties of strongly confined dense systems. We conducted Raman and X-ray diffraction measurements on a dense and disordered form of molecular nitrogen subnanoconfined in a noncatalytic pure SiO2 zeolite under pressure, up to 50 GPa. In this form, N2-N2 interactions and, consequently, distances are found to be very close to those of bulk N2 and intramolecular interactions progressively weaken upon increasing pressure. Surprisingly, the filled zeolite is still crystalline at 50 GPa with silicon in tetrahedral coordination by oxygen, which is a record pressure for this type of coordination among all the known forms of silica. We have thus found a rationale for the polymerization of a number molecules occurring in the microchannels of noncatalytic zeolites under pressure, where the pressure threshold is found to be very similar to that observed in bulk samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Santoro
- Istituto Nazionale di Ottica , CNR-INO, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- European Laboratory for Non Linear Spectroscopy (LENS) , 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Federico A Gorelli
- Istituto Nazionale di Ottica , CNR-INO, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- European Laboratory for Non Linear Spectroscopy (LENS) , 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Roberto Bini
- European Laboratory for Non Linear Spectroscopy (LENS) , 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Firenze , 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Julien Haines
- ICGM, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, ENSCM, 34090 Montpellier, France
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53
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Wei S, Li D, Liu Z, Li X, Tian F, Duan D, Liu B, Cui T. Alkaline-earth metal (Mg) polynitrides at high pressure as possible high-energy materials. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 19:9246-9252. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cp08771j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The P1̄-MgN3 and P1̄-MgN4 are predicted to become energetically stable under pressure, suggesting that it may be prepared by high-pressure synthesis. P1̄-MgN3 and P1̄-MgN4 are expected to release an enormously large amount of energy (2.83 and 2.01 kJ g−1). The present study encourages experimental exploration of these promising materials in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuli Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- College of Physics
- Jilin University
- Changchun
- People's Republic of China
| | - Da Li
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- College of Physics
- Jilin University
- Changchun
- People's Republic of China
| | - Zhao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- College of Physics
- Jilin University
- Changchun
- People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- College of Physics
- Jilin University
- Changchun
- People's Republic of China
| | - Fubo Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- College of Physics
- Jilin University
- Changchun
- People's Republic of China
| | - Defang Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- College of Physics
- Jilin University
- Changchun
- People's Republic of China
| | - Bingbing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- College of Physics
- Jilin University
- Changchun
- People's Republic of China
| | - Tian Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- College of Physics
- Jilin University
- Changchun
- People's Republic of China
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54
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Bondarchuk SV, Minaev BF. Super high-energy density single-bonded trigonal nitrogen allotrope—a chemical twin of the cubic gauche form of nitrogen. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 19:6698-6706. [DOI: 10.1039/c6cp08723j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A new ambient-pressure metastable single-bonded nitrogen allotrope was predicted using reliable theoretical methods. The predicted allotrope has a number of similarities with the experimentally detected cubic gauche nitrogen allotrope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey V. Bondarchuk
- Department of Chemistry and Nanomaterials Science
- Bogdan Khmelnitsky Cherkasy National University
- 18031 Cherkasy
- Ukraine
| | - Boris F. Minaev
- Department of Chemistry and Nanomaterials Science
- Bogdan Khmelnitsky Cherkasy National University
- 18031 Cherkasy
- Ukraine
- Division of Theoretical Chemistry and Biology
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55
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Shen G, Mao HK. High-pressure studies with x-rays using diamond anvil cells. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2017; 80:016101. [PMID: 27873767 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/80/1/016101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Pressure profoundly alters all states of matter. The symbiotic development of ultrahigh-pressure diamond anvil cells, to compress samples to sustainable multi-megabar pressures; and synchrotron x-ray techniques, to probe materials' properties in situ, has enabled the exploration of rich high-pressure (HP) science. In this article, we first introduce the essential concept of diamond anvil cell technology, together with recent developments and its integration with other extreme environments. We then provide an overview of the latest developments in HP synchrotron techniques, their applications, and current problems, followed by a discussion of HP scientific studies using x-rays in the key multidisciplinary fields. These HP studies include: HP x-ray emission spectroscopy, which provides information on the filled electronic states of HP samples; HP x-ray Raman spectroscopy, which probes the HP chemical bonding changes of light elements; HP electronic inelastic x-ray scattering spectroscopy, which accesses high energy electronic phenomena, including electronic band structure, Fermi surface, excitons, plasmons, and their dispersions; HP resonant inelastic x-ray scattering spectroscopy, which probes shallow core excitations, multiplet structures, and spin-resolved electronic structure; HP nuclear resonant x-ray spectroscopy, which provides phonon densities of state and time-resolved Mössbauer information; HP x-ray imaging, which provides information on hierarchical structures, dynamic processes, and internal strains; HP x-ray diffraction, which determines the fundamental structures and densities of single-crystal, polycrystalline, nanocrystalline, and non-crystalline materials; and HP radial x-ray diffraction, which yields deviatoric, elastic and rheological information. Integrating these tools with hydrostatic or uniaxial pressure media, laser and resistive heating, and cryogenic cooling, has enabled investigations of the structural, vibrational, electronic, and magnetic properties of materials over a wide range of pressure-temperature conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoyin Shen
- Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC, USA
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56
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Pressure-induced Transformations of Dense Carbonyl Sulfide to Singly Bonded Amorphous Metallic Solid. Sci Rep 2016; 6:31594. [PMID: 27527241 PMCID: PMC4985701 DOI: 10.1038/srep31594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The application of pressure, internal or external, transforms molecular solids into non-molecular extended network solids with diverse crystal structures and electronic properties. These transformations can be understood in terms of pressure-induced electron delocalization; however, the governing mechanisms are complex because of strong lattice strains, phase metastability and path dependent phase behaviors. Here, we present the pressure-induced transformations of linear OCS (R3m, Phase I) to bent OCS (Cm, Phase II) at 9 GPa; an amorphous, one-dimensional (1D) polymer at 20 GPa (Phase III); and an extended 3D network above ~35 GPa (Phase IV) that metallizes at ~105 GPa. These results underscore the significance of long-range dipole interactions in dense OCS, leading to an extended molecular alloy that can be considered a chemical intermediate of its two end members, CO2 and CS2.
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57
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Qian GR, Niu H, Hu CH, Oganov AR, Zeng Q, Zhou HY. Diverse Chemistry of Stable Hydronitrogens, and Implications for Planetary and Materials Sciences. Sci Rep 2016; 6:25947. [PMID: 27193059 PMCID: PMC4872144 DOI: 10.1038/srep25947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen hydrides, e.g., ammonia (NH3), hydrazine (N2H4) and hydrazoic acid (HN3), are compounds of great fundamental and applied importance. Their high-pressure behavior is important because of their abundance in giant planets and because of the hopes of discovering high-energy-density materials. Here, we have performed a systematic investigation on the structural stability of N-H system in a pressure range up to 800 GPa through evolutionary structure prediction. Surprisingly, we found that high pressure stabilizes a series of previously unreported compounds with peculiar structural and electronic properties, such as the N4H, N3H, N2H and NH phases composed of nitrogen backbones, the N9H4 phase containing two-dimensional metallic nitrogen planes and novel N8H, NH2, N3H7, NH4 and NH5 molecular phases. Another surprise is that NH3 becomes thermodynamically unstable above ~460 GPa. We found that high-pressure chemistry of hydronitrogens is much more diverse than hydrocarbon chemistry at normal conditions, leading to expectations that N-H-O and N-H-O-S systems under pressure are likely to possess richer chemistry than the known organic chemistry. This, in turn, opens a possibility of nitrogen-based life at high pressure. The predicted phase diagram of the N-H system also provides a reference for synthesis of high-energy-density materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Rui Qian
- Department of Geosciences, Center for Materials by Design, and Institute for Advanced Computational Science, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
| | - Haiyang Niu
- Department of Geosciences, Center for Materials by Design, and Institute for Advanced Computational Science, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
| | - Chao-Hao Hu
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Information Materials, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin 541004, P.R. China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin 541004, P.R. China
| | - Artem R. Oganov
- Department of Geosciences, Center for Materials by Design, and Institute for Advanced Computational Science, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo Innovation Center, 3 Nobel St., Moscow 143026, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutskiy lane, Dolgoprudny city, Moscow Region 141700, Russia
- International Center for Materials Discovery, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, P.R. China
| | - Qingfeng Zeng
- International Center for Materials Discovery, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, P.R. China
| | - Huai-Ying Zhou
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Information Materials, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin 541004, P.R. China
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58
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Hao AM, Bai J, Luo SH, Qi XW. First Principles Investigation of Electronic Property and High Pressure Phase Stability of SmN. CHINESE J CHEM PHYS 2016. [DOI: 10.1063/1674-0068/29/cjcp1507143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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59
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Greschner MJ, Zhang M, Majumdar A, Liu H, Peng F, Tse JS, Yao Y. A New Allotrope of Nitrogen as High-Energy Density Material. J Phys Chem A 2016; 120:2920-5. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.6b01655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Greschner
- Department
of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada
- Canadian Light Source, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 2V3, Canada
| | - Meng Zhang
- Department
of Physics, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Arnab Majumdar
- Department
of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Hanyu Liu
- Geophysical
Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, NW, Washington, D.C. 20015, United States
| | - Feng Peng
- College
of Physics and Electronic Information, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471022, China
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 10084, China
| | - John S. Tse
- Department
of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Yansun Yao
- Department
of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada
- Canadian Light Source, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 2V3, Canada
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60
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Three-Dimensional Carbon Allotropes Comprising Phenyl Rings and Acetylenic Chains in sp+sp(2) Hybrid Networks. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24665. [PMID: 27087405 PMCID: PMC4834540 DOI: 10.1038/srep24665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We here identify by ab initio calculations a new type of three-dimensional (3D) carbon allotropes that consist of phenyl rings connected by linear acetylenic chains in sp+sp2 bonding networks. These structures are constructed by inserting acetylenic or diacetylenic bonds into an all sp2-hybridized rhombohedral polybenzene lattice, and the resulting 3D phenylacetylene and phenyldiacetylene nets comprise a 12-atom and 18-atom rhombohedral primitive unit cells in the symmetry, which are characterized as the 3D chiral crystalline modification of 2D graphyne and graphdiyne, respectively. Simulated phonon spectra reveal that these structures are dynamically stable. Electronic band calculations indicate that phenylacetylene is metallic, while phenyldiacetylene is a semiconductor with an indirect band gap of 0.58 eV. The present results establish a new type of carbon phases and offer insights into their outstanding structural and electronic properties.
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61
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Abstract
Interest in molecular crystals has grown thanks to their relevance to pharmaceuticals, organic semiconductor materials, foods, and many other applications. Electronic structure methods have become an increasingly important tool for modeling molecular crystals and polymorphism. This article reviews electronic structure techniques used to model molecular crystals, including periodic density functional theory, periodic second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory, fragment-based electronic structure methods, and diffusion Monte Carlo. It also discusses the use of these models for predicting a variety of crystal properties that are relevant to the study of polymorphism, including lattice energies, structures, crystal structure prediction, polymorphism, phase diagrams, vibrational spectroscopies, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Finally, tools for analyzing crystal structures and intermolecular interactions are briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J O Beran
- Department of Chemistry, University of California , Riverside, California 92521, United States
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62
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Peng F, Han Y, Liu H, Yao Y. Exotic stable cesium polynitrides at high pressure. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16902. [PMID: 26581175 PMCID: PMC4652274 DOI: 10.1038/srep16902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
New polynitrides containing metastable forms of nitrogen are actively investigated as potential high-energy-density materials. Using a structure search method based on the CALYPSO methodology, we investigated the stable stoichiometries and structures of cesium polynitrides at high pressures. Along with the CsN3, we identified five new stoichiometric compounds (Cs3N, Cs2N, CsN, CsN2, and CsN5) with interesting structures that may be experimentally synthesizable at modest pressures (i.e., less than 50 GPa). Nitrogen species in the predicted structures have various structural forms ranging from single atom (N) to highly endothermic molecules (N2, N3, N4, N5, N6) and chains (N∞). Polymeric chains of nitrogen were found in the high-pressure C2/c phase of CsN2. This structure contains a substantially high content of single N-N bonds that exceeds the previously known nitrogen chains in pure forms, and also exhibit metastability at ambient conditions. We also identified a very interesting CsN crystal that contains novel N4(4-) anion. To our best knowledge, this is the first time a charged N4 species being reported. Results of the present study suggest that it is possible to obtain energetic polynitrogens in main-group nitrides under high pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Peng
- College of Physics and Electronic Information, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471022, China
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 10084, China
| | - Yunxia Han
- College of Physics and Electronic Information, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471022, China
| | - Hanyu Liu
- Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, NW, Washington, D.C. 20015, USA
| | - Yansun Yao
- Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5E2, Canada
- Canadian Light Source, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 2V3 Canada
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63
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Li D, Oganov AR, Dong X, Zhou XF, Zhu Q, Qian G, Dong H. Nitrogen oxides under pressure: stability, ionization, polymerization, and superconductivity. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16311. [PMID: 26575799 PMCID: PMC4648296 DOI: 10.1038/srep16311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen oxides are textbook class of molecular compounds, with extensive industrial applications. Nitrogen and oxygen are also among the most abundant elements in the universe. We explore the N-O system at 0 K and up to 500 GPa though ab initio evolutionary simulations. Results show that two phase transformations of stable molecular NO2 occur at 7 and 64 GPa, and followed by decomposition of NO2 at 91 GPa. All of the NO+NO3− structures are found to be metastable at T = 0 K, so experimentally reported ionic NO+NO3− is either metastable or stabilized by temperature. N2O5 becomes stable at 9 GPa, and transforms from P-1 to C2/c structure at 51 GPa. NO becomes thermodynamically stable at 198 GPa. This polymeric phase is superconducting (Tc = 2.0 K) and contains a -N-N- backbone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxu Li
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, 361021 P.R. China
| | - Artem R Oganov
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo Innovation Center, 3 Nobel St., Moscow 143026, Russia.,Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.,Center for Materials by Design, Institute for Advanced Computational Science, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.,Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutskiy lane, Dolgoprudny city, Moscow Region, 141700, Russia.,School of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710072, China
| | - Xiao Dong
- School of Physics and Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Xiang-Feng Zhou
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.,Center for Materials by Design, Institute for Advanced Computational Science, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.,School of Physics and Key Laboratory of Weak-Light Nonlinear Photonics, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Qiang Zhu
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.,Center for Materials by Design, Institute for Advanced Computational Science, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Guangrui Qian
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.,Center for Materials by Design, Institute for Advanced Computational Science, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Huafeng Dong
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.,Center for Materials by Design, Institute for Advanced Computational Science, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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64
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Peng F, Yao Y, Liu H, Ma Y. Crystalline LiN5 Predicted from First-Principles as a Possible High-Energy Material. J Phys Chem Lett 2015; 6:2363-6. [PMID: 26266618 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.5b00995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The search for stable polymeric nitrogen and polynitrogen compounds has attracted great attention due to their potential applications as high-energy-density materials. Here we report a theoretical prediction of an interesting LiN5 crystal through first-principles calculations and unbiased structure searching techniques. Theoretical calculations reveal that crystalline LiN5 is thermodynamically stable at pressures above 9.9 GPa, and remains metastable at ambient conditions. The metastability of LiN5 stems from the inherent stability of the N5(-) anions and strong anion-cation interactions. It is therefore possible to synthesize LiN5 by compressing solid LiN3 and N2 gas under high pressure and quench recover the product to ambient conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that stable N5(-) anions are predicted in crystalline states. The weight ratio of nitrogen in LiN5 is nearly 91%, placing LiN5 as a promising high-energy material. The decomposition of LiN5 is expected to be highly exothermic, releasing an energy of approximately 2.72 kJ·g(-1). The present results open a new avenue to synthesize polynitrogen compounds and provide a key perspective toward the understanding of novel chemical bonding in nitrogen-rich compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Peng
- †College of Physics and Electronic Information, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471022, China
- ⊥Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 10084, China
| | - Yansun Yao
- ‡Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada
- §Canadian Light Source, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 2 V3, Canada
| | - Hanyu Liu
- ‡Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Yanming Ma
- ∥State Key Lab of Superhard Materials, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
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65
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Abstract
Crystal structure prediction at high pressures unbiased by any prior known structure information has recently become a topic of considerable interest. We here present a short overview of recently developed structure prediction methods and propose current challenges for crystal structure prediction. We focus on first-principles crystal structure prediction at high pressures, paying particular attention to novel high pressure structures uncovered by efficient structure prediction methods. Finally, a brief perspective on the outstanding issues that remain to be solved and some directions for future structure prediction researches at high pressure are presented and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanchao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Yanming Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
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66
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Plašienka D, Martoňák R. Transformation pathways in high-pressure solid nitrogen: from molecular N2 to polymeric cg-N. J Chem Phys 2015; 142:094505. [PMID: 25747092 DOI: 10.1063/1.4908161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The transformation pathway in high-pressure solid nitrogen from N2 molecular state to polymeric cg-N phase was investigated by means of ab initio molecular dynamics and metadynamics simulations. In our study, we observed a transformation mechanism starting from molecular Immm phase that initiated with formation of trans-cis chains. These chains further connected within layers and formed a chain-planar state, which we describe as a mixture of two crystalline structures--trans-cis chain phase and planar phase, both with Pnma symmetry. This mixed state appeared in molecular dynamics performed at 120 GPa and 1500 K and in the metadynamics run at 110 GPa and 1500 K, where the chains continued to reorganize further and eventually formed cg-N. During separate simulations, we also found two new phases--molecular P2(1)/c and two-three-coordinated chain-like Cm. The transformation mechanism heading towards cg-N can be characterized as a progressive polymerization process passing through several intermediate states of variously connected trans-cis chains. In the final stage of the transformation chains in the layered form rearrange collectively and develop new intraplanar as well as interplanar bonds leading to the geometry of cg-N. Chains with alternating trans and cis conformation were found to be the key entity--structural pattern governing the dynamics of the simulated molecular-polymeric transformation in compressed nitrogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dušan Plašienka
- Department of Experimental Physics, Comenius University, Mlynská Dolina F2, 842 48 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Roman Martoňák
- Department of Experimental Physics, Comenius University, Mlynská Dolina F2, 842 48 Bratislava, Slovakia
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67
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Zhang M, Yan H, Wei Q, Liu H. A new high-pressure polymeric nitrogen phase in potassium azide. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c4ra15699d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The ELF distributions of 2D “N6” rings along thec-axis inP6/mmm-KN3(left) and 3D “N6” rings along theb-axis inC2/m-N-KN3(right).
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiguang Zhang
- College of Physics and Optoelectronic Technology
- Nonlinear Research Institute
- Baoji University of Arts and Sciences
- Baoji
- China
| | - Haiyan Yan
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Baoji University of Arts and Sciences
- Baoji
- China
| | - Qun Wei
- School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering
- Xidian University
- Xi'an
- China
| | - Hanyu Liu
- Department of Physics and Engineering Physics
- University of Saskatchewan
- Saskatoon
- Canada
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68
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Zhu C, Bi H, Zhang S, Wei S, Li Q. Exploring the metallic phase of N2O under high pressure. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra14154k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Using the CALYPSO method, we proposed a new metallic structure of N2O under high pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunye Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- Jilin University
- Changchun 130012
- China
| | - Haixin Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- Jilin University
- Changchun 130012
- China
| | - Shoutao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- Jilin University
- Changchun 130012
- China
| | - Shubo Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- Jilin University
- Changchun 130012
- China
| | - Quan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- Jilin University
- Changchun 130012
- China
- College of Materials Science and Engineering
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69
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Tomasino D, Kim M, Smith J, Yoo CS. Pressure-induced symmetry-lowering transition in dense nitrogen to layered polymeric nitrogen (LP-N) with colossal Raman intensity. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2014; 113:205502. [PMID: 25432047 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.113.205502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We present the discovery of a novel nitrogen phase synthesized using laser-heated diamond anvil cells at pressures between 120-180 GPa well above the stability field of cubic gauche (cg)-N. This new phase is characterized by its singly bonded, layered polymeric (LP) structure similar to the predicted Pba2 and two colossal Raman bands (at ∼1000 and 1300 cm^{-1} at 150 GPa), arising from two groups of highly polarized nitrogen atoms in the bulk and surface of the layer, respectively. The present result also provides a new constraint for the nitrogen phase diagram, highlighting an unusual symmetry-lowering 3D cg-N to 2D LP-N transition and thereby the enhanced electrostatic contribution to the stabilization of this densely packed LP-N (ρ=4.85 g/cm^{3} at 120 GPa).
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Affiliation(s)
- Dane Tomasino
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Shock Physics, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164, USA
| | - Minseob Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Shock Physics, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164, USA
| | - Jesse Smith
- High Pressure Collaborating Access Team at Advanced Photon Source, Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA
| | - Choong-Shik Yoo
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Shock Physics, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164, USA
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70
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Holzapfel WB. Structures of the elements - crystallography and art. ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION B, STRUCTURAL SCIENCE, CRYSTAL ENGINEERING AND MATERIALS 2014; 70:429-435. [PMID: 24892589 DOI: 10.1107/s2052520614005277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2013] [Accepted: 03/07/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Since simple data tables on phase transitions and structural systematics of the elements over a wide range of pressure and temperature are difficult to comprehend, this paper illustrates these systematics with some artwork together with an artist's view of the equations of states for the elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilfried B Holzapfel
- Physics Department, University of Paderborn, Warburger Str. 100, D-33095 Paderborn, Germany
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71
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Zhang HD, Zheng SK, Jin XL, Jiang SQ, He Z, Liu BB, Cui T. Crystal structure prediction and hydrogen-bond symmetrization of solid hydrazine under high pressure: a first-principles study. ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION C-STRUCTURAL CHEMISTRY 2014; 70:112-7. [PMID: 24508955 DOI: 10.1107/s2053229613032324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Accepted: 11/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
In this article, the crystal structure of solid hydrazine under pressure has been extensively investigated using ab initio evolutionary simulation methods. Calculations indicate that hydrazine remains both insulating and stable up to at least 300 GPa at low temperatures. A structure with P2₁ symmetry is found for the first time through theoretical prediction in the pressure range 0-99 GPa and it is consistent with previous experimental results. Two novel structures are also proposed, in the space groups Cc and C2/c, postulated to be stable in the range 99-235 GPa and above 235 GPa, respectively. Below 3.5 GPa, C2 symmetry is found originally, but it becomes unstable after adding the van der Waals interactions. The P2₁→Cc transition is first order, with a volume discontinuity of 2.4%, while the Cc→C2/c transition is second order with a continuous volume change. Pressure-induced hydrogen-bond symmetrization occurs at 235 GPa during the Cc→C2/c transition. The underlying mechanism of hydrogen-bond symmetrization has also been investigated by analysis of electron localization functions and vibrational Raman/IR spectra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua-Di Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 People's Republic of China
| | - Song-Kuan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 People's Republic of China
| | - Xi-Lian Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 People's Republic of China
| | - Shu-Qing Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi He
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 People's Republic of China
| | - Bing-Bing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 People's Republic of China
| | - Tian Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 People's Republic of China
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72
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Chen C, Xu Y, Sun X, Wang S, Tian F. The stability, electronic properties, and hardness of SiN2 under high pressure. RSC Adv 2014. [DOI: 10.1039/c4ra11327f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pyrite SiN2 displays a behavior very similar to isotropy and has a high simulated hardness (63 GPa).
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Affiliation(s)
- Changbo Chen
- School of Science
- Changchun University of Science and Technology
- Changchun 130022, P. R. China
| | - Ying Xu
- School of Science
- Changchun University of Science and Technology
- Changchun 130022, P. R. China
| | - Xiuping Sun
- School of Science
- Changchun University of Science and Technology
- Changchun 130022, P. R. China
| | - Sihang Wang
- School of Science
- Changchun University of Science and Technology
- Changchun 130022, P. R. China
| | - Fubo Tian
- School of Science
- Changchun University of Science and Technology
- Changchun 130022, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials
- College of physics
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73
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Structure and Stability Prediction of Compounds with Evolutionary Algorithms. Top Curr Chem (Cham) 2014; 345:181-222. [DOI: 10.1007/128_2013_489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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74
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Sun J, Martinez-Canales M, Klug DD, Pickard CJ, Needs RJ. Stable all-nitrogen metallic salt at terapascal pressures. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2013; 111:175502. [PMID: 24206503 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.111.175502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2012] [Revised: 09/07/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The phase diagram and equation of state of dense nitrogen are of interest in understanding the fundamental physics and chemistry under extreme conditions, including planetary processes, and in discovering new materials. We predict several stable phases of nitrogen at multi-TPa pressures, including a P4/nbm structure consisting of partially charged N(2)(δ+) pairs and N(5)(δ-) tetrahedra, which is stable in the range 2.5-6.8 TPa. This is followed by a modulated layered structure between 6.8 and 12.6 TPa, which also exhibits a significant charge transfer. The P4/nbm metallic nitrogen salt and the modulated structure are stable at high pressures and temperatures, and they exhibit strongly ionic features and charge density distortions, which is unexpected in an element under such extreme conditions and could represent a new class of nitrogen materials. The P-T phase diagram of nitrogen at TPa pressures is investigated using quasiharmonic phonon calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Sun
- Department of Physics and National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China and Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany and Theory of Condensed Matter Group, Cavendish Laboratory, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
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75
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Beaudet TD, Mattson WD, Rice BM. New form of polymeric nitrogen from dynamic shock simulation. J Chem Phys 2013; 138:054503. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4789307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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76
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Wang X, Wang Y, Miao M, Zhong X, Lv J, Cui T, Li J, Chen L, Pickard CJ, Ma Y. Cagelike diamondoid nitrogen at high pressures. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2012; 109:175502. [PMID: 23215200 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.109.175502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Under high pressure, triply bonded molecular nitrogen dissociates into singly bonded polymeric nitrogen, a potential high-energy-density material. The discovery of stable high-pressure forms of polymeric nitrogen is of great interest. We report the striking stabilization of cagelike diamondoid nitrogen at high pressures predicted by first-principles structural searches. The diamondoid structure of polymeric nitrogen has not been seen in any other elements, and it adopts a highly symmetric body-centered cubic structure with lattice sites occupied by diamondoids, each of which consists of ten nitrogen atoms, forming a N(10) tetracyclic cage. Diamondoid nitrogen possesses a wide energy gap and is energetically most stable among all known polymeric structures above 263 GPa, a pressure that is accessible to a high-pressure experiment. Our findings represent a significant step toward the understanding of the behavior of solid nitrogen at extreme conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Wang
- Institute of Condensed Matter Physics, Linyi University, Linyi 276005, People's Republic of China
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77
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Li P, Gao G, Ma Y. Modulated structure and molecular dissociation of solid chlorine at high pressures. J Chem Phys 2012; 137:064502. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4742152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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78
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Liu Y, Du H, Wang G, Gong X, Wang L. Comparative theoretical studies of high pressure effect on polymorph I of 2,2′,4,4′,6,6′-hexanitroazobenzene crystal. Struct Chem 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s11224-012-9963-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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79
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Sun J, Martinez-Canales M, Klug DD, Pickard CJ, Needs RJ. Persistence and eventual demise of oxygen molecules at terapascal pressures. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2012; 108:045503. [PMID: 22400862 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.108.045503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2011] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Computational searches for structures of solid oxygen under high pressures in the multi-TPa range are carried out using density-functional-theory methods. We find that molecular oxygen persists to about 1.9 TPa at which it transforms into a semiconducting square-spiral-like polymeric structure (I4(1)/acd) with a band gap of ~3.0 eV. Solid oxygen forms a metallic zigzag chainlike structure (Cmcm) at about 3.0 TPa, but the chains in each layer gradually merge as the pressure is increased and a structure of Fmmm symmetry forms at about 9.3 TPa in which each atom has four nearest neighbors. The superconducting properties of molecular oxygen do not vary much with compression, although the structure becomes more symmetric. The electronic properties of oxygen have a complex evolution with pressure, swapping between insulating, semiconducting, and metallic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Sun
- Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
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80
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Abstract
Oxygen is in many ways a unique element: It is the only known diatomic molecular magnet, and it exhibits an unusual O(8) cluster in its high-pressure solid phase. Pressure-induced molecular dissociation as one of the fundamental problems in physical sciences has been reported from theoretical or experimental studies of diatomic solids H(2), N(2), F(2), Cl(2), Br(2), and I(2) but remains elusive for molecular oxygen. We report here the prediction of the dissociation of molecular oxygen into a polymeric spiral chain O(4) structure (space group I4(1)/acd, θ-O(4)) above 1.92-TPa pressure using the particle-swarm search method. The θ-O(4) phase has a similar structure as the high-pressure phase III of sulfur. The molecular bonding in the insulating ε-O(8) phase or the isostructural superconducting ζ-O(8) phase remains remarkably stable over a large pressure range of 0.008-1.92 TPa. The pressure-induced softening of a transverse acoustic phonon mode at the zone boundary V point of O(8) phase might be the ultimate driving force for the formation of θ-O(4). Stabilization of θ-O(4) turns oxygen from a superconductor into an insulator by opening a wide band gap (approximately 5.9 eV) that originates from the sp(3)-like hybridized orbitals of oxygen and the localization of valence electrons.
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81
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Sun J, Klug DD, Pickard CJ, Needs RJ. Controlling the bonding and band gaps of solid carbon monoxide with pressure. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2011; 106:145502. [PMID: 21561202 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.106.145502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
We use a combination of a searching method and first-principles electronic structure calculations to predict novel structures of carbon monoxide (CO) which are energetically more stable than the known structures. The most stable forms of CO at zero pressure consist of metallic polycarbonyl chains with single and double bonds, rather than the familiar triply bonded insulating CO molecules. At pressures >2 GPa the most stable phases are semiconducting and insulating singly bonded three-dimensional framework and layered structures. We also find a molecular Pbcm structure which is more stable than the R3c structure proposed previously for the observed ϵ phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Sun
- Lehrstuhl für Theoretische Chemie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
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82
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Oganov AR, Lyakhov AO, Valle M. How evolutionary crystal structure prediction works--and why. Acc Chem Res 2011; 44:227-37. [PMID: 21361336 DOI: 10.1021/ar1001318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 416] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Once the crystal structure of a chemical substance is known, many properties can be predicted reliably and routinely. Therefore if researchers could predict the crystal structure of a material before it is synthesized, they could significantly accelerate the discovery of new materials. In addition, the ability to predict crystal structures at arbitrary conditions of pressure and temperature is invaluable for the study of matter at extreme conditions, where experiments are difficult. Crystal structure prediction (CSP), the problem of finding the most stable arrangement of atoms given only the chemical composition, has long remained a major unsolved scientific problem. Two problems are entangled here: search, the efficient exploration of the multidimensional energy landscape, and ranking, the correct calculation of relative energies. For organic crystals, which contain a few molecules in the unit cell, search can be quite simple as long as a researcher does not need to include many possible isomers or conformations of the molecules; therefore ranking becomes the main challenge. For inorganic crystals, quantum mechanical methods often provide correct relative energies, making search the most critical problem. Recent developments provide useful practical methods for solving the search problem to a considerable extent. One can use simulated annealing, metadynamics, random sampling, basin hopping, minima hopping, and data mining. Genetic algorithms have been applied to crystals since 1995, but with limited success, which necessitated the development of a very different evolutionary algorithm. This Account reviews CSP using one of the major techniques, the hybrid evolutionary algorithm USPEX (Universal Structure Predictor: Evolutionary Xtallography). Using recent developments in the theory of energy landscapes, we unravel the reasons evolutionary techniques work for CSP and point out their limitations. We demonstrate that the energy landscapes of chemical systems have an overall shape and explore their intrinsic dimensionalities. Because of the inverse relationships between order and energy and between the dimensionality and diversity of an ensemble of crystal structures, the chances that a random search will find the ground state decrease exponentially with increasing system size. A well-designed evolutionary algorithm allows for much greater computational efficiency. We illustrate the power of evolutionary CSP through applications that examine matter at high pressure, where new, unexpected phenomena take place. Evolutionary CSP has allowed researchers to make unexpected discoveries such as a transparent phase of sodium, a partially ionic form of boron, complex superconducting forms of calcium, a novel superhard allotrope of carbon, polymeric modifications of nitrogen, and a new class of compounds, perhydrides. These methods have also led to the discovery of novel hydride superconductors including the "impossible" LiH(n) (n=2, 6, 8) compounds, and CaLi(2). We discuss extensions of the method to molecular crystals, systems of variable composition, and the targeted optimization of specific physical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem R. Oganov
- Department of Geosciences and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-2100, United States
- Geology Department, Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow, Russia
| | - Andriy O. Lyakhov
- Department of Geosciences and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-2100, United States
| | - Mario Valle
- Data Analysis and Visualization Group, Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS), via Cantonale, Galleria 2, 6928 Manno, Switzerland
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83
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Gao G, Oganov AR, Ma Y, Wang H, Li P, Li Y, Iitaka T, Zou G. Dissociation of methane under high pressure. J Chem Phys 2011; 133:144508. [PMID: 20950018 DOI: 10.1063/1.3488102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Methane is an extremely important energy source with a great abundance in nature and plays a significant role in planetary physics, being one of the major constituents of giant planets Uranus and Neptune. The stable crystal forms of methane under extreme conditions are of great fundamental interest. Using the ab initio evolutionary algorithm for crystal structure prediction, we found three novel insulating molecular structures with P2(1)2(1)2(1), Pnma, and Cmcm space groups. Remarkably, under high pressure, methane becomes unstable and dissociates into ethane (C(2)H(6)) at 95 GPa, butane (C(4)H(10)) at 158 GPa, and further, carbon (diamond) and hydrogen above 287 GPa at zero temperature. We have computed the pressure-temperature phase diagram, which sheds light into the seemingly conflicting observations of the unusually low formation pressure of diamond at high temperature and the failure of experimental observation of dissociation at room temperature. Our results support the idea of diamond formation in the interiors of giant planets such as Neptune.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoying Gao
- State Key Lab of Superhard Materials, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People's Republic of China.
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84
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Pickard CJ, Needs RJ. Ab initio random structure searching. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2011; 23:053201. [PMID: 21406903 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/23/5/053201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 346] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
It is essential to know the arrangement of the atoms in a material in order to compute and understand its properties. Searching for stable structures of materials using first-principles electronic structure methods, such as density-functional-theory (DFT), is a rapidly growing field. Here we describe our simple, elegant and powerful approach to searching for structures with DFT, which we call ab initio random structure searching (AIRSS). Applications to discovering the structures of solids, point defects, surfaces, and clusters are reviewed. New results for iron clusters on graphene, silicon clusters, polymeric nitrogen, hydrogen-rich lithium hydrides, and boron are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris J Pickard
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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85
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Hu A, Zhang F. A hydronitrogen solid: high pressure ab initio evolutionary structure searches. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2011; 23:022203. [PMID: 21406836 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/23/2/022203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
High pressure ab initio evolutionary structure searches resulted in a hydronitrogen solid with a composition of (NH)(4). The structure searches also provided two molecular isomers, ammonium azide (AA) and trans-tetrazene (TTZ) which were previously discovered experimentally and can be taken as molecular precursors for high pressure synthesis of the hydronitrogen solid. The computed pressure versus enthalpy diagram showed that the transformation pressure to the hydronitrogen solid is 36 GPa from AA and 75 GPa from TTZ. Its metastability was analyzed by the phonon dispersion spectrum and room-temperature vibrational density of state together with the transformation energy barrier back to molecular phases at 298 K. The predicted energy barrier of 0.21 eV/atom means that the proposed hydronitrogen solid should be very stable at ambient conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anguang Hu
- Defence Research and Development Canada-Suffield, PO Box 4000 Stn Main, Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 8K6, Canada.
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86
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Bao G, Duan D, Zhou D, Jin X, Liu B, Cui T. A New High-Pressure Polar Phase of Crystalline Bromoform: A First-Principles Study. J Phys Chem B 2010; 114:13933-9. [DOI: 10.1021/jp103823c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gang Bao
- State Key Lab of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China, College of Physics and Electronic Information, Inner Mongolia University for the Nationalities, Tongliao 028043, People’s Republic of China
| | - Defang Duan
- State Key Lab of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China, College of Physics and Electronic Information, Inner Mongolia University for the Nationalities, Tongliao 028043, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dawei Zhou
- State Key Lab of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China, College of Physics and Electronic Information, Inner Mongolia University for the Nationalities, Tongliao 028043, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xilian Jin
- State Key Lab of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China, College of Physics and Electronic Information, Inner Mongolia University for the Nationalities, Tongliao 028043, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bingbing Liu
- State Key Lab of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China, College of Physics and Electronic Information, Inner Mongolia University for the Nationalities, Tongliao 028043, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tian Cui
- State Key Lab of Superhard Materials, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China, College of Physics and Electronic Information, Inner Mongolia University for the Nationalities, Tongliao 028043, People’s Republic of China
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87
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Superconductivity at approximately 100 K in dense SiH4(H2)2 predicted by first principles. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:15708-11. [PMID: 20798059 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1007354107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivated by the potential high-temperature superconductivity in hydrogen-rich materials, the high-pressure structures of SiH(4)(H(2))(2) in the pressure range 50-300 GPa were extensively explored by using a genetic algorithm. An intriguing layered orthorhombic (Ccca) structure was revealed to be energetically stable above 248 GPa with the inclusion of zero-point energy. The Ccca structure is metallic and composed of hydrogen shared SiH(8) dodecahedra layers intercalated by orientationally ordered molecular H(2). Application of the Allen-Dynes modified McMillan equation yields remarkably high superconducting temperatures of 98-107 K at 250 GPa, among the highest values reported so far for phonon-mediated superconductors. Analysis reveals a unique superconducting mechanism that the direct interactions between H(2) and SiH(4) molecules at high pressure play the major role in the high superconductivity, while the contribution from H(2) vibrons is minor.
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88
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Zhang M, Wang H, Wang H, Zhang X, Iitaka T, Ma Y. First-Principles Prediction on the High-Pressure Structures of Transition Metal Diborides (TMB2, TM = Sc, Ti, Y, Zr). Inorg Chem 2010; 49:6859-64. [DOI: 10.1021/ic100214v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Meiguang Zhang
- National Laboratory of Superhard Materials, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People's Republic of China
- Department of Physics, BaoJi University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji 712007, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Wang
- National Laboratory of Superhard Materials, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongbo Wang
- National Laboratory of Superhard Materials, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinxin Zhang
- National Laboratory of Superhard Materials, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People's Republic of China
| | - Toshiaki Iitaka
- Computational Astrophysics Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Yanming Ma
- National Laboratory of Superhard Materials, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People's Republic of China
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89
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Wang X, Tian F, Wang L, Cui T, Liu B, Zou G. Structural stability of polymeric nitrogen: A first-principles investigation. J Chem Phys 2010; 132:024502. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3290954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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90
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High-pressure crystal structures and superconductivity of Stannane (SnH4). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:1317-20. [PMID: 20080576 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0908342107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
There is great interest in the exploration of hydrogen-rich compounds upon strong compression where they can become superconductors. Stannane (SnH(4)) has been proposed to be a potential high-temperature superconductor under pressure, but its high-pressure crystal structures, fundamental for the understanding of superconductivity, remain unsolved. Using an ab initio evolutionary algorithm for crystal structure prediction, we propose the existence of two unique high-pressure metallic phases having space groups Ama2 and P6(3)/mmc, which both contain hexagonal layers of Sn atoms and semimolecular (perhydride) H(2) units. Enthalpy calculations reveal that the Ama2 and P6(3)/mmc structures are stable at 96-180 GPa and above 180 GPa, respectively, while below 96 GPa SnH(4) is unstable with respect to elemental decomposition. The application of the Allen-Dynes modified McMillan equation reveals high superconducting temperatures of 15-22 K for the Ama2 phase at 120 GPa and 52-62 K for the P6(3)/mmc phase at 200 GPa.
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91
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Li Y, Wang H, Li Q, Ma Y, Cui T, Zou G. Twofold Coordinated Ground-State and Eightfold High-Pressure Phases of Heavy Transition Metal Nitrides MN2 (M = Os, Ir, Ru, and Rh). Inorg Chem 2009; 48:9904-9. [DOI: 10.1021/ic9014702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yinwei Li
- National Lab of Superhard Materials, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hui Wang
- National Lab of Superhard Materials, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China
| | - Quan Li
- National Lab of Superhard Materials, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanming Ma
- National Lab of Superhard Materials, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tian Cui
- National Lab of Superhard Materials, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guangtian Zou
- National Lab of Superhard Materials, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of China
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92
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Wang H, Li Q, Wang Y, Gao G, Ma Y. High-pressure polymorphs of Li(2)BeH(4) predicted by first-principles calculations. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2009; 21:385405. [PMID: 21832370 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/21/38/385405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
We report two orthorhombic high-pressure polymorphs of β- Na(2)SO(4)- and La(2)NiO(4)-type structures for lithium beryllium hydrides (Li(2)BeH(4)) predicted by first-principles calculations. The β- Na(2)SO(4)-type structure possesses BeH(4) tetrahedra, similar to the zero-pressure α-Li(2)BeH(4) structure, but in dramatic contrast to the peculiar BeH(4) octahedral layer in the La(2)NiO(4)-type structure. The β- Na(2)SO(4)-type structure energetically surpasses the α-Li(2)BeH(4) structure for stability above 7.2 GPa, which is nicely correlated with the experimental transition pressure of 9.1 GPa. Further transformation to the La(2)NiO(4)-type structure is predicted at 28.8 GPa. The two transitions are identified as first-order in nature with volume contractions of 3.32% and 5.17%, respectively. Our current discovery has ruled out the previously proposed Cs(2)MgH(4)-type structure as the candidate for the high-pressure phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People's Republic of China
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