Structural transitions in liquid cesium

Two series of models of liquid cesium at temperatures of 493 and 623 K and pressures lower than 18 GPa are constructed by means of molecular dynamics using the potential of the embedded atom model. The thermodynamic properties of the models, pair correlation functions, pair radial distribution functions, structure factors, coordination numbers, and distributions of the Voronoi polyhedra and Delaunay simplexes are analyzed. No indications of structural transitions in liquid cesium of the first-order phase transition type are observed near a pressure of 3.9 GPa. Divergences from the results of some X-ray diffraction studies could be due to incorrect determination of the coordination numbers via the standard method because of the strong asymmetry of the first peaks of the pair radial distribution functions.     

Brillouin scattering of H2O ice to megabar pressures

The sound velocity in polycrystalline ice was measured as a function of pressure at room temperature to 100 GPa, through the phase field of ice VII and crossing the ice X transition, by Brillouin scattering in order to examine the elasticity, compression mechanism, and structural transitions in this pressure range. In particular, we focused on previously proposed phase transitions below 60 GPa. Throughout this pressure range, we find no evidence for anomalous changes in compressibility, and the sound velocities and elastic moduli do not exhibit measurable discontinuous shifts with pressure. Subtle changes in the pressure dependence of the bulk modulus at intermediate pressures can be attributed to high shear stresses at these compressions. The C(11) and C(12) moduli are consistent with previously reported results to 40 GPa and increase monotonically at higher pressures.     

Modulated structure and molecular dissociation of solid chlorine at high pressures

Among diatomic molecular halogen solids, high pressure structures of solid chlorine (Cl(2)) remain elusive and least studied. We here report first-principles structural search on solid Cl(2) at high pressures through our developed particle-swarm optimization algorithm. We successfully reproduced the known molecular Cmca phase (phase I) at low pressure and found that it remains stable up to a high pressure 142 GPa. At 150 GPa, our structural searches identified several energetically competitive, structurally similar, and modulated structures. Analysis of the structural results and their similarity with those in solid Br(2) and I(2), it was suggested that solid Cl(2) adopts an incommensurate modulated structure with a modulation wave close to 2∕7 in a narrow pressure range 142-157 GPa. Eventually, our simulations at >157 GPa were able to predict the molecular dissociation of solid Cl(2) into monatomic phases having body centered orthorhombic (bco) and face-centered cubic (fcc) structures, respectively. One unique monatomic structural feature of solid Cl(2) is the absence of intermediate body centered tetragonal (bct) structure during the bco → fcc transition, which however has been observed or theoretically predicted in solid Br(2) and I(2). Electron-phonon coupling calculations revealed that solid Cl(2) becomes superconductors within bco and fcc phases possessing a highest superconducting temperature of 13.03 K at 380 GPa. We further probed the molecular Cmca → incommensurate phase transition mechanism and found that the softening of the A(g) vibrational (rotational) Raman mode in the Cmca phase might be the driving force to initiate the transition.     

Structural properties and phase transitions in a silica clathrate

Melanophlogite, a low-pressure silica polymorph, has been extensively studied at different temperatures and pressures by molecular dynamics simulations. While the high-temperature form is confirmed as cubic, the low-temperature phase is found to be slightly distorted, in agreement with experiments. With increasing pressure, the crystalline character is gradually lost. At 8 GPa, the radial distribution function is consistent with an amorphous state. Like pristine glass, the topology changes, plastic behavior, and permanent densification appear above ～12 GPa, triggered by Si coordination number changes. We predict that a partial crystalline and amorphous sample can be obtained by recovering the sample from a pressure of ～12-16 GPa.     

"Stubborn" triaminotrinitrobenzene: unusually high chemical stability of a molecular solid to 150 GPa

We report an unexpectedly high chemical stability of molecular solid 1,3,5-triamino-2,4,6-trinitrobenzene (TATB) under static high pressures. In contrast to the high-pressure behavior of the majority of molecular solids, TATB remains both chemically stable and an insulator to 150 GPa--well above the predicted metallization pressure of 120 GPa. Single crystal studies have shown that TATB exhibits pressure-induced Raman changes associated with two subtle structural phase transitions at 28 and 56 GPa. These phase transitions are accompanied by remarkable color changes, from yellow to orange and to dark red with increasing pressure. We suggest that the high-stability of TATB arises as a result of its hydrogen-bonded aromatic two-dimensional (2D) layered structure and highly repulsive interlayer interaction, hindering the formation of 3D networks or metallic states.     

Effect of High Pressure on the Polymorphs of Paracetamol

Effect of hydrostatic pressure on the two (I – monoclinic and II – orthorhombic) polymorphs of paracetamol was studied by X-ray diffraction in the diamond anvil cell at pressures up to 4.5 GPa (for the monoclinic form) and up to 5.5 GPa (for the orthorhombic form). The two groups of phenomena were studied: (i) the anisotropic structural distortion of the same polymorph, (ii) transitions between the polymorphs induced by pressure. The anisotropy of structural distortion of polymorphs I and II was well reproducible from sample to sample, also from powder samples to single crystals. The bulk compressibility of the two forms was shown to be practically the same. However, a noticeable qualitative difference in the anisotropy of structural distortion was observed: with increasing pressure the structure of polymorph II contracted in all the directions showing isotropic compression in the planes of hydrogen-bonded molecular layers, whereas the layers in the structure of the polymorph I expanded in some directions. Maximum compression in both polymorphs I and II was observed in the directions normal to the molecular layers. The transitions between the polymorphs induced by pressure were poorly reproducible and depended strongly on the sample and on the procedure of increasing/decreasing pressure. No phase transitions were induced in the single crystals of the monoclinic polymorph at pressures at least up to 4GPa, although a partial transformation of polymorph I into polymorph II was observed at increased pressure in powder samples. Polymorph II transformed partly into the polymorph I during grinding. The transformation could be hindered if grinding was carried out in CCl₄. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Raman scattering study of high-pressure phase transition in thiourea

A high-pressure Raman spectroscopic study of phase transitions in thiourea is reported. The changes in the Raman spectra with increasing and decreasing pressure have been followed to a maximum pressure of approximately 11 GPa. We observe several changes in the spectra including splitting of modes, appearance of new modes, and sudden change in the slope of the frequency-pressure curve at several pressures. On the basis of this study, we propose the existence of three more transitions in this system to phases VII, VIII, and IX at approximately 1, 3, and 6.1 GPa, respectively, in addition to the V-VI phase transition at 0.35 GPa reported earlier. All the transitions have been found to be completely reversible. We interpret these changes in terms of symmetry-lowering phase transitions.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of structure H clathrate-hydrates of binary guest molecules

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to study the stability of structure H clathrate-hydrates of methane+large-molecule guest substance (LMGS) at temperatures of 270, 273, 278 and 280 K under canonical (NVT-) ensemble condition in a 3×3×3 structure H unit cell replica with 918 TIP4P water molecules. The studied LMGS are 2-methylbutane (2-MB), 2,3-dimethylbutane (2,3-DMB), neohexane (NH), methylcyclohexane (MCH), adamantane and tert-butyl methyl ether (TBME). In the process of MD simulation, achieving equilibrium of the studied system is recognized by stability in calculated pressure for NVT-ensemble. So, for the accuracy of MD simulations, the obtained pressures are compared with the experimental phase diagrams. Therefore, the obtained equilibrium pressures by MD simulations are presented for studying the structure H clathrate-hydrates. The results show that the calculated temperature and pressure conditions by MD simulations are consistent with the experimental phase diagrams. Also, the radial distribution functions (RDFs) of host-host, host-guest and guest-guest molecules are used to analysis the characteristic configurations of the structure H clathrate-hydrate.     

Pressure-induced ordering in adamantane: a Monte Carlo simulation study

Isothermal-isobaric ensemble Monte Carlo simulation of adamantane has been carried out with a variable shape simulation cell. The low-temperature crystalline phase and the room-temperature plastic crystalline phases have been studied employing the modified Williams potential. We show that at room temperature, the plastic crystalline phase transforms to the crystalline phase on increase in pressure. Further, we show that this is the same phase as the low-temperature ordered tetragonal phase of adamantane. The high-pressure ordered phase appears to be characterized by a slightly larger shift of the first peak toward a lower value of r in C-C, C-H, and H-H radial distribution functions as compared to the low-temperature tetragonal phase. The coexistence curve between the crystalline and plastic crystalline phase has been obtained approximately up to a pressure of 4 GPa.     

The Local Atomic Structures of Liquid CO at 3.6 GPa and Polymerized CO at 0 to 30 GPa from High‐Pressure Pair Distribution Function Analysis

The local atomic structures of liquid and polymerized CO and its decomposition products were analyzed at pressures up to 30 GPa in diamond anvil cells by X‐ray diffraction, pair distribution function (PDF) analysis, single‐crystal diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. The structural models were obtained by density functional calculations. Analysis of the PDF of a liquid CO‐rich phase revealed that the local structure has a pronounced short‐range order. The PDFs of polymerized amorphous CO at several pressures revealed the compression of the molecular structure; covalent bond lengths did not change significantly with pressure. Experimental PDFs could be reproduced with simulations from DFT‐optimized structural models. Likely structural features of polymerized CO are thus 4‐ to 6‐membered rings (lactones, cyclic ethers, and rings decorated with carbonyl groups) and long bent chains with carbonyl groups and bridging atoms. Laser heating polymerized CO at pressures of 7 to 9 GPa and 20 GPa resulted in the formation of CO₂.     

Structure and speciation in hydrous silica melts. 2. Pressure effects

The effect of pressure on structure and water speciation in hydrated liquid silica is examined over a range of temperatures and compositions. The Feuston-Garofalini (FG) potential is used in isobaric-isothermal Monte Carlo simulations carried out at four pressures (0.25, 1.0, 2.5, and 10 GPa) for seven temperatures (2000 < or = T < or= 9000 K) and five compositions (0.0 < or = x_w < or = 0.4). The FG potential yields a stable melt phase for p > or = 1.0 GPa and/or x_w < or = 0.1 for all temperatures. The volume minimum seen in previous simulations of pure and hydrated liquid silica using the FG potential persists up to 2.5 GPa but is no longer evident at 10 GPa. This is correlated with gradual structural changes of the liquid up to 2.5 GPa and with more significant changes at 10 GPa. Even at high overall concentrations of water (x_w = 0.4), only about 2% of oxygen atoms are present as molecular water species at the lowest temperature. This percentage decreases with increasing pressure and temperature.     

High pressure Raman spectra of d-threonine crystal

Raman spectra of d-threonine crystal were recorded for pressures up to 8.5 GPa. Modifications in the lattice modes indicate that the crystal undergoes two structural phase transitions, the first in the 1.9–2.4 GPa pressure range and the second in the 5.1–6.0 GPa pressure range. Splitting of modes and changes in the intensity of several bands suggest a conformational reorientation of the molecule in the crystal framework between 3.5 and 4.3 GPa. We discussed ours results by comparing with previous high-pressure investigation on l-conformer.     

High-pressure study of tetramethylsilane by Raman spectroscopy

High-pressure behavior of tetramethylsilane, one of the Group IVa hydrides, was investigated by Raman scattering measurements at pressures up to 142 GPa and room temperature. Our results revealed the phase transitions at 0.6, 9, and 16 GPa from both the mode frequency shifts with pressure and the changes of the full width half maxima of these modes. These transitions were suggested to result from the changes in the inter- and intra-molecular bonding of this material. We also observed two other possible phase transitions at 49-69 GPa and 96 GPa. No indication of metallization in tetramethylsilane was found with stepwise compression to 142 GPa.     

Structural properties of the amorphous ices: an analysis in terms of distance-ranked neighbors and angular correlations

In this work we study through computer simulations the three known forms of amorphous ice, namely, the low density (LDA), the high density (HDA), and the very high density (VHDA) amorphous ices, at various pressures and temperatures. Adopting the TIP4P model, we are able to reproduce these three forms by following experiment-like procedures. Those systems are characterized from thermodynamic and structural points of view, in particular through an insightful analysis of the behavior of the second-shell neighbors in the various stages of the simulations. The distance-ranked neighbors are found to be the relevant markers of the differentiation mechanisms of the three forms, since their response to pressure induces specific distortions of the orientational correlations. We show that LDA, HDA, and VHDA are disordered forms whose local structures tend to a single tetrahedral network, to an ice-VII-like arrangement, and to a random-close-packed simple liquid-like structure, respectively. Despite the major structural deformations induced by pressure, the hydrogen bonds are still present in each of those forms, even though deformations of the tetrahedral angles are necessary to adapt to the denser structures.     

Pressure induced phase transitions in hydroquinone

High pressure behavior of alpha-hydroquinone (1,4-dihydroxybenzene) has been studied using Raman spectroscopy up to pressures of 19 GPa. Evolution of Raman spectra suggests two transitions around 3.3 and 12.0 GPa. The first transition appears to be associated with the lowering of crystal symmetry. Above 12.0 GPa, Raman bands in the internal modes region exhibit continuous broadening suggesting that the system is progressively evolving into a disordered state. This disorder is understood as arising due to distortion of the hydrogen-bonded cage across the second transition around 12 GPa.     

Pressure-induced phase transitions in LiNH2

In situ high-pressure Raman spectroscopy studies on LiNH2 (lithium amide) have been performed at pressures up to 25 GPa. The pressure-induced changes in the Raman spectra of LiNH2 indicates a phase transition that begins at approximately 12 GPa is complete at approximately 14 GPa from ambient-pressure alpha-LiNH2 (tetragonal, I) to a high-pressure phase denoted here as beta-LiNH2. This phase transition is reversible upon decompression with the recovery of the alpha-LiNH2 phase at approximately 8 GPa. The N-H internal stretching modes (nu([NH2]-)) display an increase in frequency with pressure, and a new stretching mode corresponding to high-pressure beta-LiNH2 phase appears at approximately 12.5 GPa. Beyond approximately 14 GPa, the N-H stretching modes settle into two shouldered peaks at lower frequencies. The lattice modes show rich pressure dependence exhibiting multiple splitting and become well-resolved at pressures above approximately 14 GPa. This is indicative of orientational ordering [NH2]- ions in the lattice of the high-pressure beta-LiNH2 phase.     

High-pressure study of lithium azide from density-functional calculations

The structural, electronic, optical, and vibrational properties of LiN(3) under high pressure have been studied using plane wave pseudopotentials within the generalized gradient approximation for the exchange and correlation functional. The calculated lattice parameters agree quite well with experiments. The calculated bulk modulus value is found to be 23.23 GPa, which is in good agreement with the experimental value of 20.5 GPa. Our calculations reproduce well the trends in high-pressure behavior of the structural parameters. The present results show that the compressibility of LiN(3) crystal is anisotropic and the crystallographic b-axis is more compressible when compared to a- and c-axes, which is also consistent with experiment. Elastic constants are predicted, which still awaits experimental confirmation. The computed elastic constants clearly show that LiN(3) is a mechanically stable system and the calculated elastic constants follow the order C(33) > C(11) > C(22), implying that the LiN(3) lattice is stiffer along the c-axis and relatively weaker along the b-axis. Under the application of pressure the magnitude of the electronic band gap value decreases, indicating that the system has the tendency to become semiconductor at high pressures. The optical properties such as refractive index, absorption spectra, and photoconductivity along the three crystallographic directions have been calculated at ambient as well as at high pressures. The calculated refractive index shows that the system is optically anisotropic and the anisotropy increases with an increase in pressure. The observed peaks in the absorption and photoconductivity spectra are found to shift toward the higher energy region as pressure increases, which implies that in LiN(3) decomposition is favored under pressure with the action of light. The vibrational frequencies for the internal and lattice modes of LiN(3) at ambient conditions as well as at high pressures are calculated from which we predict that the response of the lattice modes toward pressure is relatively high when compared to the internal modes of the azide ion.     

Pressure‐Induced Structural Transition in WO3 Nanowires

Raman spectroscopic analysis is performed on WO₃ nanowires at room temperature at pressures from ambient conditions to 45 GPa. Linear dependence of the first‐order Raman signal on various high‐pressure (HP) sections is observed. Upon increasing the applied pressure, the WO₃ nanowires undergo four phase transitions at pressures around 1.7, 4.6, 21.5, and 26.2 GPa, which are all less than that reported for bulk WO₃. When the pressure is up to 42.5 GPa, a new high‐pressure phase (HP5) appears. This phase has never been reported and is not reversible while unloading the pressure.     

Structural transitions under high-pressure in a langasite-type multiferroic Ba3TaFe3Si2O14

The iron containing langasite family compound Ba₃Ta⁵⁷Fe₃Si₂O₁₄ was studied at high pressure up to 30 GPa at room temperature by means of in situ X-ray diffraction, Raman and Mössbauer spectroscopies in diamond anvil cell. Two structural transitions at pressures ∼5 and ∼20 GPa are observed. At ∼5 GPa, the low-pressure trigonal P321 phase undergoes phase transition to the most likely P3 structure as manifested by slight increase in the c/a ratio and by anomalies of the Mössbauer and Raman spectra parameters. At ∼20 GPa, the first order phase transition to monoclinic structure occurred with a drop of unit cell volume by 9%. The appearance of the ferroelectric state at such transitions is discussed in connection with the multiferroic properties.     

Pressure-induced phase transitions in multiferroic RbFe(MoO4)2—Raman scattering study

High pressure Raman scattering experiments were performed on RbFe(MoO₄)₂. These experiments revealed that two phase transitions take place in RbFe(MoO₄)₂ at very low pressures, i.e. between ambient pressure and 0.2 GPa and between 0.4 and 0.7 GPa. Raman results showed that at the first phase transition the room temperature P3?m1 phase transforms into the P3? phase, which is also observed at ambient pressure below 190 K. The second pressure-induced phase transition occurs into a low symmetry phase of unknown symmetry. The performed lattice dynamics calculations for the P3?m1 phase and ab initio calculation of the structural changes under hydrostatic pressure helped us to get better insights into the mechanism of the observed phase transitions.