1. Bayerisches Geoinstitut , Universit?t Bayreuth , Bayreuth , D-95440 , Germany;2. CSIRO Minerals , Box 312, Clayton South , Victoria , 3169 , Australia;3. Department of Physics , Uppsala University , Uppsala , S-751 21 , Sweden
Abstract:
Combined theoretical and experimental studies led to discovery of a new polymorph modification of titanium dioxide with nine-coordinated titanium. Among polycrystalline materials, it is one of the least compressible (with a bulk modulus of 431 GPa) and hardest (with a microhardness of 38 GPa).