Hexagonal to cubic phase transition in YH3 under high pressure

X-ray diffraction studies on bulk yttrium trihydride, in a diamond anvil cell, have been carried out up to 25 GPa. Pressure induced hexagonal-to-cubic phase transformation in YH₃ has been found at pressure of about 8 GPa. The lattice parameter of the new cubic phase was determined as equal to 5.28 Å. This finding confirms the theoretical predictions based on first principle calculations of such a transformation. Equations of state have been determined for both the hexagonal hcp and cubic fcc YH₃ phases. As compared to the pure yttrium metal, bulk modulus for YH₃ is about four times bigger. The similarity of this transition to that observed in the other 4-f trivalent hydrides has been discussed.     

Pressure-induced structural phase transition in rare-earth trihydrides. Part I. (GdH3, HoH3, LuH3)

High-pressure X-ray diffraction studies of gadolinum, holmium and lutetium trihydrides have been carried out in a diamond anvil cell up to 30 GPa at room temperature. A reversible structural phase transformation from the hexagonal to cubic phase has been observed for all the hydrides investigated. These results confirm our first discovery of the hexagonal to cubic phase transition in erbium trihydride published recently [T. Palasyuk, M. Tkacz, Solid State Commun. 130 (2004) 219. [1]]. The lattice parameters of the new cubic phases and the volume changes at transition points were determined for SmH₃, GdH₃, and HoH₃. The parameters of the equation of state for all the hexagonal and cubic phases of the investigated compounds have been determined.     

X-ray diffraction investigation of the hexagonal-fcc structural transition in yttrium trihydride under hydrostatic pressure

Pressure induced structural transition of yttrium hydride has been investigated using synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction measurement up to 24 GPa at room temperature. A reversible hexagonal-fcc transition with a wide intermediate region from 11 to 20 GPa is confirmed, which is consistent with previously reported X-ray results. The diffraction patterns measured for the intermediate state are not interpreted in terms of a hexagonal-fcc coexisting state or as rare-earth structures with various metal-layer stacking sequences. The equation of state determined for the hexagonal-YH₃ provides a bulk modulus B₀ of 71.9 GPa, which is nearly half of the previously reported value, but is within the range of values reported for other rare-earth metal trihydrides with hexagonal structures.     

Magnetic and structural instabilities in the hexagonal Laves hydride ErMn2H4.6 under high-pressure

The structural and magnetic properties of ErMn₂H_4.6 have been studied by X-ray and neutron diffraction up to the pressures of 15 and 6 GPa, respectively. In the pressure range 0<P<3 GPa we observe a first-order phase transition to new high-pressure (HP) phase. The HP phase has the same hexagonal unit cell as the ambient-pressure phase but smaller lattice parameters (ΔV/V=−5%). The structural transition results in suppression of the long-range antiferromagnetic order. Our results suggest that pressure changes positions of the hydrogen atoms in the metal host. We speculate that the new arrangement of hydrogen atoms induces spin frustration and, therefore, suppresses long-range magnetic order in the HP phase.     

Decomposition of the hexagonal copper hydride at high pressure

The process of decomposition of hexagonal copper hydride has been observed in situ in a diamond anvil cell (DAC) using the energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) method. The presence and intensity of diffraction lines of the hexagonal CuH_0.8 phase have been taken as a probe for the decomposition process. The intensity of diffraction lines decreases abruptly in the vicinity of 8.4 GPa, indicating complete decomposition of the hydride. The determined value of decomposition pressure is equal to 8.4±0.6 GPa. The standard Gibbs energy of formation of 54.0±1.3 kJ mol⁻¹ (H₂) calculated for copper hydride has been compared with the result obtained from calorimetric studies. The large discrepancy between the two values suggests that the decomposition pressure does not describe ‘true’ equilibrium conditions in this system.     

High pressure X-ray diffraction study of ReS2

The high-pressure behavior of rhenium disulfide (ReS₂) has been investigated to 51.0 GPa by in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature. The results demonstrate that the ReS₂ triclinic phase is stable up to 11.3 GPa, at which pressure the ReS₂ transforms to a new high-pressure phase, which is tentatively identified with a hexagonal lattice in space group P6?m2. The high-pressure phase is stable up to the highest pressure in this study (51.0 GPa) and not quenchable upon decompression to ambient pressure. The compressibility of the triclinic phase exhibits anisotropy, meaning that it is more compressive along interlayer directions than intralayer directions, which demonstrates the properties of the weak interlayer van der Waals interactions and the strong intralayer covalent bonds. The largest change in the unit cell angles with increasing pressures is the increase of β, which indicates a rotation of the sulfur atoms around the rhenium atoms during the compression. Fitting the experimental data of the triclinic phase to the third-order Birch-Murnaghan EOS yields a bulk modulus of K_OT=23±4 GPa with its pressure derivative K_OT′= 29±8, and the second-order yields K_OT=49±3 GPa.     

Compressibility anomaly in the superconducting material Nb3Al under high pressure

Nb₃Al, which is widely used in high field magnets, was studied under a range of pressures up to 39.5 GPa using diamond anvil cell. The Nb₃Al superconductor is structurally stable up to the highest pressure of the present investigation from previous reports. However, an anomaly of the compressibility beyond 19.2 GPa was detected in the pressure versus volume plot. The curve of volume versus pressure shows the existence of a plateau around 18.0 GPa as seen in several other highly correlated electrons systems, The observed pressure-induced isostructural phase transition was accomplished with a volume inclination without any symmetrical change (space group, Wyckoff position). The physical mechanism behind this isostructural phase transition is the interesting issue for further studies.     

Experimental constraints on the phase diagram of elemental zirconium

The phase diagram of zirconium metal has been studied using synchrotron X-ray diffraction and time-of-flight neutron scattering at temperatures and pressures up to 1273 K and 17 GPa. The equilibrium phase boundary of the α-ω transition has a dT/dP slope of 473 K/GPa, and the extrapolated transition pressure at ambient temperature is located at 3.4 GPa. For the ω-β transition, the phase boundary has a negative dT/dP slope of 15.5 K/GPa between 6.4 and 15.3 GPa, which is substantially smaller than a previously reported value of −39±5 K/GPa in the pressure range of 32-35 GPa. This difference indicates a significant curvature of the phase boundary between 15.3 and 35 GPa. The α-ω-β triple point was estimated to be at 4.9 GPa and 953 K, which is comparable to previous results obtained from a differential thermal analysis. Except for the three known crystalline forms, the β phase of zirconium metal was found to possess an extraordinary glass forming ability at pressures between 6.4 and 8.6 GPa. This transformation leads to a limited stability field for the β phase in the pressure range of 6-16 GPa and to complications of high-temperature portion of phase diagram for zirconium metal.     

High pressure X-ray diffraction study of copper hydride at room temperature

Abstract

High pressure X-ray studies on CuH up to 23 GPa have been performed at room temperature using a gasketed diamond anvil cell. The experimental data on the molar volume of CuH as a function of pressure have been fitted to Murnaghan's equation of state giving a bulk modulus: B₀ = 72.5±2 GPa and B₀ = 2.7 ± 0.3. By comparison with the equation of state for pure copper the effective additive volume of hydrogen has been evaluated as a function of pressure. It decreases from 3.2 cm³/mol H, at ambient pressure reaching a flattening value of 1.7cm³hol H at about 60 GPa. This suggests a continuous transition of CuH from ionic or covalent character at normal pressure to metallic hydride behavior at high pressure     

Heat capacity of CeIrSi3 under pressure

We measured the heat capacity of CeIrSi₃ (100 mK<T<6 K) under high pressure up to P=1.38 GPa. The measurements have been used a quasiadiabatic method utilizing a CuBe piston-cylinder pressure cell in a dilution refrigerator. At 0 GPa, a sharp anomaly which indicates the antiferromagnetically transition is observed at T_N=5 K. T_N decreases monotonically with increasing pressure up to P=1.38 GPa. The magnetic entropy is released below T_N only 19% of R ln 2 at 0 GPa. And the magnetic entropy decreases with increasing pressure up to 1.38 GPa, 64% compared to that at 0 GPa.     

Volume and structural study of Fe64Mn36 anti-ferromagnetic Invar alloy under high pressure

We have investigated the pressure variation of the volume and structure of an FCC Fe₆₄Mn₃₆ anti-ferromagnetic Invar alloy. The inclination of the pressure-volume (P-V) curve of the FCC structure becomes discontinuous at a pressure of 4 GPa. According to the bulk modulus at zero pressure estimated by the Birch-Murnaghan equation of state, the pressure between 4 and 10 GPa is 33 GPa larger than that at a pressure below 4 GPa. Considering previous experiments on magnetism at high pressure the Neel temperature at 4 GPa almost decreases to room temperature. These results suggest that the increase in the bulk modulus by 33 GPa can be attributed to the pressure-induced magnetic phase transition from anti-ferromagnetism to paramagnetism. Volume at zero pressure was estimated using the Birch-Murnaghan equation of state. The volume of FCC structure in the anti-ferromagnetic state was 1.17% larger than the volume in the paramagnetic state, namely, the spontaneous magnetostriction was 1.17%. Pressure-induced structural transition from FCC to HCP occurs with an increase in the pressure, especially at up to 5 GPa. The value of c/a is 1.62; this value almost corresponds to that of an ideal HCP structure. The bulk modulus of the HCP structure estimated by the Birch-Murnaghan equation of state is larger than that of the FCC structure, and the volume/atom ratio is smaller than that of the FCC structure.     

In situ observations of temperature- and pressure-induced phase transitions in TiH2: Angle-dispersive and synchrotron energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction studies

We investigated the behavior of the structure of titanium hydride (TiH₂), an important compound in hydrogen storage research, at elevated temperatures (0-120 °C) and high pressures (1 bar-34 GPa). Temperature-induced changes of TiH₂ as indicated in the alteration of the ambient X-ray demonstrated a cubic to tetragonal phase transition occurring at about 17 °C. The main focus of this study was to identify any pressure-induced structural transformations, including possible phase transitions, in TiH₂. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction studies were carried out in situ (diamond anvil cell) in a compression sequence up to 34 GPa and in subsequent decompression to ambient pressure. The pressure evolution of the diffraction patterns revealed a cubic (Fm-3m) to tetragonal (I4/mmm) phase transition at 2.2 GPa. The high-pressure phase persisted up to 34 GPa. After decompression to ambient conditions the observed phase transition was completely reversible. A Birch-Murnaghan fit of the unit cell volume as a function of pressure yielded a zero-pressure bulk modulus K₀=146(14) GPa, and its pressure derivative K′₀=6(1) for the high-pressure tetragonal phase of TiH₂.     

Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy study of benzoic acid at high pressures

Benzoic acid (C₆H₅COOH, BA) has been studied by high pressure Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy up to about 13.40 GPa using a diamond anvil cell at room temperature. The changes of lattice modes are interpreted as the crystal structure transformation. Three possible phase transitions, with the pressure increasing up to about 0.55, 3.67 and 11.10 GPa, are, respectively, elucidated as crystalline-to-crystalline, crystalline-to-amorphous transitions. A new material formed when the pressure is up to above 11.10 GPa remains stable after the pressure is released.     

Volume compression of thallium to 45 GPa

Abstract

High-pressure structural transition and volume compression for thallium were investigated to 45 GPa in a diamond anvil cell using the angular dispersive X-ray diffraction technique. Except for the known polymorphic transition at 3.7 GPa, no other structural change was observed in this pressure range. The equation of state of the high pressure phase has been obtained: its initial bulk modulus, B₀ = 33.1 GPa, is lower by 10% than that of the hexagonal phase at normal pressure.     

High pressure structural investigations on hexagonal YInO3

Hexagonal (space group P6₃cm) form of YInO₃ has been investigated under high pressure using synchrotron-based angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering methods. Our experimental investigations suggest that it undergoes the phase transition to a new phase in the pressure range 12–15?GPa, while the ambient hexagonal phase is found to coexist with the new phase up to 29?GPa. DFT based calculations within the LDA approach on the hexagonal phase of YInO₃ showed that the unit cell volume matches well with the experimentally obtained volume at ambient pressure. As the pressure increases, theoretically obtained values of unit cell volume of the hexagonal phase were found to be significantly lower than that of experimentally obtained values. This discrepancy has been corrected using LDA?+?U_In(4d) (Hubbard interaction parameter between Indium 4d electrons) method. We have proposed the high pressure phase of YInO₃ to be orthorhombic with space group Pnma.     

Experimental constraints on the phase diagram of titanium metal

The phase transformations of titanium metal have been studied at temperatures and pressures up to 973 K and 8.7 GPa using synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The equilibrium phase boundary of the α-ω transition has a dT/dP slope of 345 K/GPa, and the transition pressure at room temperature is located at 5.7 GPa. The volume change across the α-ω transition is ΔV=0.197 cm³/mol, and the associated entropy change is ΔS=0.57 J/mol K. Except for ΔV, our results differ substantially from those of previous studies based on an equilibrium transition pressure of 2.0 GPa at room temperature. The α-ω-β triple point is estimated to be at 7.5 GPa and 913 K, which is comparable with previous results obtained from differential thermal analysis and resistometric measurements. An update, more accurate phase diagram is established for Ti metal based on the present observations and previous constraints on the α-β and ω-β phase boundaries.     

New features in the pressure dependence of photoluminescence spectra of C60 at room temperature

We present new results on the pressure dependence of the electronic band gap of molecular C₆₀ measured by photoluminescence spectroscopy up to 10 GPa at room temperature. In agreement with previous results, the energy gap decreases with increasing pressure up to about 6 GPa. For higher pressures, however, we observe an energy gap that is wider than that at 6 GPa.     

Structural, high pressure and elastic properties of transition metal monocarbides: A FP-LAPW study

The structural, elastic and thermal properties of four transition metal monocarbides ScC, YC (group III), VC and NbC (group V) have been investigated using full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method within generalized gradient approximation (GGA) both at ambient and high pressure. We predict a B₁ to B₂ structural phase transition at 127.8 and 80.4 GPa for ScC and YC along with the volume collapse percentage of 7.6 and 8.4%, respectively. No phase transition is observed in case of VC and NbC up to pressure 400 and 360 GPa, respectively. The ground state properties such as equilibrium lattice constant (a₀), bulk modulus (B) and its pressure derivative (B′) are determined and compared with available data. We have computed the elastic moduli and Debye temperature and report their variation as a function of pressure.     

Compression behavior of nanocrystalline anatase TiO2

We present a synchrotron X-ray diffraction study of pressure-induced changes in nanocrystalline anatase (with a crystallite size of 30-40 nm) to 35 GPa. The nanoanatase was observed to a pressure above 20 GPa. Direct transformation to the baddeleyite-TiO₂ polymorph was seen at 18 GPa. A fit of the pressure versus volume data to a Birch-Murnaghan equation yielded the following parameters: zero-pressure volume, V₀=136.15 Å³, bulk modulus, K_T=243(3) GPa, and the pressure derivative of bulk modulus, K′=4 (fixed). The bulk modulus value obtained for the nanocrystalline anatase is about 35% larger than that of the macrocrystalline counterpart.     

α-LiIO3的等温压缩和高温高压下的相变

用金刚石压砧高压X射线衍射技术研究了α-LilO₃在室温高压下的压缩行为,压力达23.0GP_a。观察到晶格压缩的各向异性,其c/a轴比以-6.187×10^-3/GP_a的速率减小。得到其常压下的体弹模量B₀=39.2GP_a,体弹模量对压力的一阶导数B＇₀=3.787。α-LiIO₃在高温高压下转变成四方结构,与淬火卸压所得的ε-LiIO₃结构一致。 关键词：