Structural phase transitions in Zn(CN)2 under high pressures

High pressure behavior of zinc cyanide (Zn(CN)₂) has been investigated with the help of synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction measurements. Our studies reveal that under pressure this compound undergoes phase transformations and the structures of the new phases depend on whether the pressure is hydrostatic or not. Under hydrostatic conditions, Zn(CN)₂ transforms from cubic to orthorhombic to cubic-II to amorphous phases. In contrast, the non-hydrostatic pressure conditions drive the ambient cubic phase to a partially disordered crystalline phase, which eventually evolves to a substantially disordered phase. The final disordered phase in the latter case is distinct from the amorphous phase observed under the hydrostatic pressures.     

Direct observation of phase transitions of polyethylene under high pressure by a PSPC x-ray system

A position-sensitive proportional counter (PSPC) x-ray measuring system is employed to observe directly phase transition processes of polyethylene at high temperature and high pressure. X-ray diffraction measurements reveal important new experimental data. First, an irreversible crystal transition from the hexagonal to the orthorhombic structures occurs in the critical region where the hexagonal structure begins to appear at a pressure of 350 MPa. That is, the (100) hexagonal reflection is observed only on cooling at 350 MPa. At pressures above about 400 MPa, however, the hexagonal phase is stable and the phase transitions melt ? hexagonal ? orthorhombic occur reversibly. Second, during cooling at pressures above 400 MPa, the (100) hexagonal reflection can be observed at temperatures below the hexagonal ? orthorhombic transition temperature. This behavior suggests that all the crystal morphologies of polyethylene, from “highly-extended-chain” crystals to crystals with a low melting point, are formed by the transitions melt → hexagonal → orthorhombic. Third, in heating at elevated pressures above 500 MPa, a shoulder in the peak intensity versus temperature plot for the (100) hexagonal reflection is observed at a higher temperature than the large maximum which occurs immediately after the crystal transition. This behavior indicates melting in two stages of hexagonal structures with different thermal stabilities, and the shoulder at higher temperature may be due to the fusion of the hexagonal phase annealed either below or above the transition point.     

Microscopic observation and in-situ Raman scattering studies on high-pressure phase transformations of Kr hydrate

Direct observations through a microscope and in-situ Raman scattering measurements of synthesized single-crystalline Kr hydrate have been performed at pressures up to 5.2 GPa and 296 K. We have observed that the initial cubic structure II (sII) of Kr hydrate successively transforms to a cubic structure I (sI), a hexagonal structure, and an orthorhombic structure (sO) called "filled ice" at 0.45, 0.75, and 1.8 GPa, respectively. The sO phase exists at least up to 5.2 GPa. In addition to these transformations, we have also found the new phase behavior at 1.0 GPa, which is most likely caused by the change of cage occupancy of host water cages by guest Kr atoms without structural change. Raman scattering measurements for observed phases have shown that the lattice vibrational peak at around 130 cm(-1) disappears in the pressure region of sI, which enables us to distinguish the sI phase from sII and sH phases.     

Systematic study on structural phase behavior of CdSe thin films

Cadmium selenide (CdSe) thin films were chemically deposited at room temperature, from aqueous ammoniacal solution using Cd(CH(3)COO)(2) as Cd2+ and Na(2)SeSO(3) as Se2- ion sources. The as-deposited films were uniform, well adherent to the glass substrate, specularly reflective, and red-orange in color. The as-deposited CdSe layers grew with nanocrystalline sphalerite cubic structure along with the amorphous phase present in it, with optical band gap E(g) = 2.3 eV. The films were annealed in air atmosphere for 4 h at different temperatures and characterized for compositional, structural, morphological, and optical properties. XRD and SEM studies clearly revealed the systematic phase transformation of CdSe films from metastable nanocrystalline cubic (zinc blende type) to a mixture of cubic and hexagonal (wurtzite type), and finally into stable hexagonal through different intermediate phases with an improvement in the crystal quality. The films showed a red shift in their optical spectra after annealing.     

The phase diagram of fullerene C60 at high temperatures and pressures

Experimental and literature data were used to calculate the Gibbs energies of polymerized C₆₀ phases and construct the equilibrium T-p phase diagram of fullerene C₆₀ at temperatures from 0 to 1000 K and pressures from 0 to 8 GPa. The diagram contains stability regions of the orthorhombic, tetragonal, and rhombohedral polymerized C₆₀ phases and primitive cubic (PC) and face-centered cubic (FCC) nonpolymerized C₆₀ phases. The orthorhombic phase (linear polymer) is an equilibrium phase at 298 K and 1 bar and in the adjacent region. The equilibrium line observed experimentally (FCC C₆₀—orthorhombic phase) is well described by the phase diagram. The optimum temperatures and pressures of the synthesis of polymerized phases are determined by kinetic rather than thermodynamic parameters.     

Hydrostatic pressure effects on a hydrated lipid inverse micellar Fd3m cubic phase

Over a range of hydration, unsaturated diacylglycerol/phosphatidylcholine mixtures adopt an inverse micellar cubic phase, of crystallographic space group Fd3m. In this study hydrated DOPC:DOG mixtures with a molar ratio close to 1 : 2 were examined as a function of hydrostatic pressure, using synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The small-angle diffraction pattern at atmospheric pressure was used to calculate 2-D sections through the electron density map. Pressure initially has very little effect on the structure of the Fd3m cubic phase, in contrast to its effect on hydrated inverse bicontinuous cubic phases. At close to 2 kbar, a sharp transition occurs from the Fd3m phase to a pair of coexisting phases, an inverse hexagonal H(II) phase plus an (ordered) lamellar phase. Upon increasing the pressure to 3 kbar, a further sharp transition occurs from the H(II) phase to a (fluid) lamellar phase, in coexistence with the ordered lamellar phase. These transitions are fully reversible, but show hysteresis. Remarkably, the lattice parameter of the Fd3m phase is practically independent of pressure. These results show that these two lipids are miscible at low pressure, adopting a single lyotropic phase (Fd3m); they then become immiscible above a critical pressure, phase separating into DOPC-rich and DOG-rich phases.     

Formation and evolution of metastable bcc phase during solidification of liquid Ag: a molecular dynamics simulation study

On the basis of the quantum Sutton-Chen potential, the rapid solidification processes of liquid silver have been studied by molecular dynamics simulation for four cooling rates. By means of several analysis methods, the competitions and transitions between microstructures during the cooling processes have been analyzed intensively. It is found that there are two phase transitions in all simulation processes. The first one is from liquid state to metastable (transitional) body-centered cubic (bcc) phase. The initial crystallization temperature T(ic) increases with the decrease of the cooling rate. The second one is from the transitional bcc phase to the final solid phase. This study validates the Ostwald's step rule and provides evidence for the prediction that the metastable bcc phase forms first from liquid. Further analyses reveal that the final solid at 273 K can be a mixture of hexagonal close-packed (hcp) and face-centered cubic (fcc) microstructures with various proportions of the two, and the slower the cooling rate is, the higher proportion the fcc structure occupies.     

Pressure-induced structural phase transition in the half-Heusler compound CaAuBi

We report a structural phase transition of the ternary compound CaAuBi under pressure, from the known cubic half-Heusler phase to a hexagonal LiGaGe type phase, based on synchrotron X-ray diffraction patterns taken under pressures up to 18 GPa. We report lattice parameters and atomic coordinates, and perform total energy calculations for both the cubic and hexagonal phases under different pressures. Finally, we present a structure map that places CaAuBi in the context of related 18 electron XYZ ternary systems.     

Comparing the structural stability of PbS nanocrystals assembled in fcc and bcc superlattice allotropes

We investigated the structural stability of colloidal PbS nanocrystals (NCs) self-assembled into superlattice (SL) allotropes of either face-centered cubic (fcc) or body-centered cubic (bcc) symmetry. Small-angle X-ray scattering analysis showed that the NC packing density is higher in the bcc than in the fcc SL; this is a manifestation of the cuboctahedral shape of the NC building block. Using the high-pressure rock-salt/orthorhombic phase transition as a stability indicator, we discovered that the transition pressure for NCs in a bcc SL occurs at 8.5 GPa, which is 1.5 GPa higher than the transition pressure (7.0 GPa) observed for a fcc SL. The higher structural stability in the bcc SL is attributed primarily to the effective absorption of loading force in specific SL symmetry and to a lesser extent to the surface energy of the NCs. The experimental results provide new insights into the fundamental relationship between the symmetry of the self-assembled SL and the structural stability of the constituent NCs.     

Studies on the phase properties of lyotropic liquid crystals of Brij35/sodium oleate/oleic acid/water system:By means of polarizing microscope,SAXS,~2H-NMR and rheological methods

The pseudo-quaternary phase diagram of Brij35/sodium oleate/oleic acid/water systems has been investigated, and the liquid crystal area has been identified, which covers about two thirds of the whole phase diagram. The liquid crystal structure and behavior have been also studied by using polarizing texture, small angle X-ray scattering, 2H-NMR and rheometer etc. The result shows that when the composition of the system changes along the line of AA′ in this large liquid crystal region, the structural change is cubic→cubic/lamellar→lamellar→lamellar/hexagonal→hexagonal. Meanwhile, we made the first attempt of systematic study of the rheological properties of the above system. The lattice constants of cubic and hexagonal liquid crystals are 10.53 and 5.68 nm, respectively.     

In situ observation of the pressure-induced mesophase for 4′-n-hexadecyloxy-3′-nitrobiphenyl-4-carboxylic acid

In situ observation of the optical texture, and X-ray patterns of the pressure-induced mesophase seen for 4′-n-hexadecyloxy-3′-nitrobiphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (ANBC-16) was performed under hydrostatic pressures up to 100MPa using a polarizing optical microscope equipped with a high pressure hot stage and a wide angle X-ray diffractometer equipped with a high pressure vessel respectively. It was found that the pressure-induced mesophase (hereafter refered to as ‘X’) appeared at pressures above 60 MPa, and exhibits a birefringent broken-fan or a sand-like texture that remain unaltered in the SmC phase. The POM-transmitted light intensity curve measured on heating clearly showed the Cr₄ → Cr₁ → SmC → ‘X’ → SmA → I transition sequence at 80 MPa. The optical texture and the POM-transmitted light intensity measured during a pressure cycle at 185°C showed a reversible change between the cubic and ‘X’ phases. The WAXD pattern of the ‘X’ phase showed a spot-like pattern, suggesting no layered structure for this phase, and also revealed a substantial decrease in the d-spacing of the low angle reflection at 80 and 100 MPa, compared with the d-spacings of the (0 0 1) reflection of the SmC phase and also the (2 1 1) reflection of the cubic phase. It is concluded from these data that the ‘X’ phase is a birefringent hexagonal columnar phase.     

Possibility of isostructural condensed states of matter in the D phase of ANBC and the cubic mesophase of BABH: heat capacity of 4'-n-octadecyloxy-3'-nitrobiphenyl-4-carboxlic acid, ANBC(18)

Heat capacity measurements have been made on ANBC(18) at temperatures from 8 to 490 K by adiabatic calorimetry. All known phases were detected. The temperatures, enthalpies and entropies of transition were determined for the phase transitions observed. On the basis of the entropy of transition to the SmC phase from the D or cubic phases, it is pointed out that the D phase of ANBC and the cubic phase of BABH might be identical in nature. It is shown that the arrangement of 'molecular' cores has a higher degree of order in the isotropic (D and cubic) phases than in the SmC phase, whereas the terminal alkoxy chains are more disordered in the isotropic phases than in the SmC phase. The degrees of disorder in the D and cubic phases relative to the SmC phase are very similar in terms of the entropy of transition per methylene group. The inverted phase sequence in ANBC (SmC D on heating) and BABH (cubic SmC) can be accounted for in terms of the competing roles in the entropy between the molecular core and the chains.     

Characterization of the high-pressure structures and phase transformations in SnO2. A density functional theory study

Theoretical investigations concerning the high-pressure polymorphs, the equations of state, and the phase transitions of SnO2 have been performed using density functional theory at the B3LYP level. Total energy calculations and geometry optimizations have been carried out for all phases involved, and the following sequence of structural transitions from the rutile-type (P42/mnm) driven by pressure has been obtained (the transition pressure is in parentheses): --> CaCl2-type, Pnnm (12 GPa) --> alpha-PbO2-type, Pbcn (17 GPa) --> pyrite-type, Pa (17 GPa) --> ZrO2-type orthorhombic phase I, Pbca (18 GPa) --> fluorite-type, Fmm (24 GPa) --> cotunnite-type orthorhombic phase II, Pnam (33 GPa). The highest bulk modulus values, calculated by fitting pressure-volume data to the second-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state, correspond to the cubic pyrite and the fluorite-type phases with values of 293 and 322 GPa, respectively.     

Pressure-driven phase transitions in NaBH4: theory and experiments

We have investigated pressure-induced structural transitions in NaBH4 through density-functional theory calculations combined with X-ray and neutron diffraction experiments. Our calculations confirm that the cubic phase is stable up to 5.4 GPa and an orthorhombic phase occurs above 8.9 GPa, as observed in X-ray diffraction experiments. Both the calculations and X-ray diffraction measurements identify an intermediate tetragonal phase that appears between 6 and 8 GPa; that is, between the cubic and orthorhombic phases. This result is also confirmed by high-pressure neutron diffraction experiments performed on NaBD4. Our calculations and X-ray diffraction measurements show that the space group of the orthorhombic phase above 8.9 GPa is Pnma and the orthorhombic phase remains stable up to 30 GPa. The calculated equations of state are in excellent agreement with experiments.     

P NMR investigation of a ringing gel phase and adjacent phases

The temperature-surfactant concentration phase diagram was examined for the dodecyltrimethylammonium dimethylphosphate/3-methyl-3-methoxybutanol/water ternary system. The phase diagram contained a highly elastic gel phase which is known as a “ringing gel phase”. The ringing gel phase and adjacent phases in the ternary system were investigated by polarized optical microscopy, freeze-fracture transmission electron microscopy, and ³¹P NMR. Globular textures were observed in an optically isotropic gel phase. Since the globules were larger than those found in an isotropic solution, the texture consists of domains of aggregated units in the cubic (I₁) phase. Structure units of domains are equivalent to microemulsions which are constructed by surfactant molecules and swollen by alcohol in the isotropic (L₁) phase. Characteristic polarized microscopic textures were visualized in two phases with higher surfactant concentrations. These phases were identified as being hexagonal (H₁) and lamellar (L) liquid crystals which was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The ³¹P NMR signal of the ringing gel showed a sharp singlet the same as that of the L₁ phase, indicating the fully averaged anisotropic interaction of the aggregates. The characteristic NMR signals of the anisotropic hexagonal and lamellar liquid crystal phases displayed chemical shielding with an asymmetric lineshape.     

Temperature dependence on phase evolution in the BaTiO3 polytypes studied using ab initio calculations

Identifying the forces that drive a temperature-induced phase transition is always challenging in the prospect of the first-principles methods. Herein, we perform a first-principles study of the temperature effects on structural, energetic, electronic, and vibrational properties of four BaTiO₃ polymorphs using quasi-harmonic approximations. Study of the stability between these four phases, which we break into contributions arising from the vibration of the lattice, electronic structure, and volume expansion/contraction, is helpful to confirm the sequence of phase transitions as cubic → tetragonal → orthorhombic → rhombohedral, as well as its transition temperatures. A general mechanism was proposed based on the combination between structural distortions at [TiO₆] clusters, vibrational characteristics, and electronic structure. These findings confirm the power of quasi-harmonic approximations to disclose the main fingerprints associated with both thermic and mechanical phase transitions, serving as a guide for further theoretical studies.     

Tetrahedral D atom coordination of nickel and evidence for anti-isostructural phase transition in orthorhombic Ce2Ni7D approximately 4

Hydrogenation of hexagonal Ce2Ni7 was investigated by synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction. In contrast to the recently investigated lanthanum analogue, which remains hexagonal (La2Ni7D6.5: space group P63/mmc), the cerium compound becomes orthorhombic (Ce2Ni7D approximately 4: space group Pmcn). As in the structurally related CeNi3D2.8, deuterium occupies CeNi2 slabs only, while the bulk of the CeNi5 slabs remains empty. A significant amount of deuterium is bonded in tetrahedral NiD4 units similar to those in nickel-based complex metal hydrides. These findings provide further evidence for directional bonding effects in hydrides that are traditionally considered as "interstitial". Ce2Ni7D approximately 4 displays various orthorhombic lattice distortions, delta = (b/ radical3 - a)/a. Hydrogen pressures of approximately 30 bar stabilize a phase having a negative distortion (delta < 0). Upon a decrease in the pressure, this phase transforms via a two-phase region into another phase having a positive distortion (delta > 0). Both phases are nearly isostructural and have the same space group symmetry and nearly the same composition. This situation is typical for a so-called anti-isostructural phase transition in which delta is considered to be an order parameter. Neither magnetic nor structural transitions have been detected down to 1.5 K.     

Phase transitions in thallous nitrate. A reinvestigation

A detailed reinvestigation of the phase transitions in thallous nitrate using DSC, X-ray, IR and optical microscopy has been undertaken. The DSC measurements on anhydrous samples show that the orthorhombic [OR] → hexagonal [HEX] transition sets in at 349 ± 1 K and peaks around 353 K. However, its intensity depends upon several factors such as particle size, moisture content and thermal history of the sample. The HEX→cubic [C] transition sets in around 405 K and shows two peaks at ～409 K and 413 K. Their relative intensities depend on the moisture content and thermal history of the sample. On cooling, the peaks show hysteresis and, by selective thermal cycling, the pairs of transitions, which correspond to the same process during heating and cooling, have been identified. IR spectra recorded in the OR and HEX phases at room temperature show that the symmetric stretching frequency (～1040 cm^?1) of the nitrate ion gets damped in the HEX phase. X-ray and optical microscopy data are in good agreement with the DSC observations.     

Solvent effect on mineral modification: selective synthesis of cerium compounds by a facile solution route

A mild solution method has been designed for the selective synthesis of orthorhombic and hexagonal CeOHCO(3), as well as cubic CeO(2) crystals in an ethanol/water mixed solvent. This study added a new example for selectively controlling different cerium compounds by manipulating the balance between kinetics and thermodynamics in a mixed solvent system. The competitive reactions taking place in the ethanol/water system, phase transition, and shape evolution were fully investigated: they were found to be strongly dependent on the composition of the reaction media. The influence of the ethanol content in the mixed solvent and that of the reaction time on the phase transition and shape of orthorhombic and hexagonal CeOHCO(3) crystals is discussed in detail. Metastable hexagonal CeOHCO(3) can be trapped, even at 80 degrees C, in the ethanol/water solvent mixture without the need for the high temperature adopted by previous hydrothermal approaches. The evolution process of orthorhombic and metastable hexagonal phases under mild solution conditions is discussed for the first time. Supersaturation will become faster and more evident when water is replaced by ethanol, because the inorganic salts have a lower solubility in ethanol than in water, and this will generally favor the formation of the kinetic phase, such as the hexagonal CeOHCO(3) phase reported in this paper. The optical properties of the products with different phases and composition were investigated.     

Phase behavior of a thermotropic cubic mesogen 4'-n-hexadecyloxy-3'-nitro- biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid under pressure

The phase behavior of an optically isotropic cubic mesogen 4'-n-hexadecyloxy-3'-nitrobiphenyl-4-carboxylic acid (ANBC-16) was investigated under hydrostatic pressures up to 200 MPa using a high-pressure DTA, a polarizing optical microscope equipped with a high-pressure hot-stage and a wide-angle X-ray diffractometer equipped with a high-pressure vessel. In the T vs. P phase diagram constructed in the heating mode, a triple point exists at 54±1 MPa and 205±1°C for the SmC, cubic, and SmA phases. A new mesophase, denoted here as X, appears in place of the cubic phase under pressures above about 60 MPa, while the X phase appears on cooling in the whole pressure region studied. Thus the X phase is a monotropic (metastable) phase between the SmA and Cub phases in the low pressure region, while being an enantiotropic phase between the SmA and SmC phases in the high pressure range. The X phase exhibits broken-fan or sand-like textures under pressure and a spot-like diffraction pattern, indicating the birefringent feature and no layered structure. It is suggested that the X phase is tetragonal or hexagonal columnar phase. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.