Nitro-sonium nitrate (NO+NO3 -) structure solution using in situ single-crystal X-ray diffraction in a diamond anvil cell

High-pressure synthesis of seven lanthanum hydrides with a significant variability of hydrogen content

The lanthanum-hydrogen system has attracted significant attention following the report of superconductivity in LaH10 at near-ambient temperatures and high pressures. Phases other than LaH10 are suspected to be synthesized based on both powder X-ray diffraction and resistivity data, although they have not yet been identified. Here, we present the results of our single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies on this system, supported by density functional theory calculations, which reveal an unexpected chemical and structural diversity of lanthanum hydrides synthesized in the range of 50 to 180 GPa. Seven lanthanum hydrides were produced, LaH3, LaH~4, LaH4+δ, La4H23, LaH6+δ, LaH9+δ, and LaH10+δ, and the atomic coordinates of lanthanum in their structures determined. The regularities in rare-earth element hydrides unveiled here provide clues to guide the search for other synthesizable hydrides and candidate high-temperature superconductors. The hydrogen content variability in lanthanum hydrides and the samples’ phase heterogeneity underline the challenges related to assessing potentially superconducting phases and the nature of electronic transitions in high-pressure hydrides.

Revealing Phosphorus Nitrides up to the Megabar Regime: Synthesis of α'-P3 N5, δ-P3 N5 and PN2

Non-metal nitrides are an exciting field of chemistry, featuring a significant number of compounds that can possess outstanding material properties. These properties mainly rely on maximizing the number of strong covalent bonds, with crosslinked XN₆ octahedra frameworks being particularly attractive. In this study, the phosphorus-nitrogen system was studied up to 137 GPa in laser-heated diamond anvil cells, and three previously unobserved phases were synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy measurements and density functional theory calculations. δ-P₃ N₅ and PN₂ were found to form at 72 and 134 GPa, respectively, and both feature dense 3D networks of the so far elusive PN₆ units. The two compounds are ultra-incompressible, having a bulk modulus of K₀ =322 GPa for δ-P₃ N₅ and 339 GPa for PN₂ . Upon decompression below 7 GPa, δ-P₃ N₅ undergoes a transformation into a novel α'-P₃ N₅ solid, stable at ambient conditions, that has a unique structure type based on PN₄ tetrahedra. The formation of α'-P₃ N₅ underlines that a phase space otherwise inaccessible can be explored through materials formed under high pressure.

High-Pressure Synthesis of the β-Zn3N2 Nitride and the α-ZnN4 and β-ZnN4 Polynitrogen Compounds

High-pressure nitrogen chemistry has expanded at a formidable rate over the past decade, unveiling the chemical richness of nitrogen. Here, the Zn-N system is investigated in laser-heated diamond anvil cells by synchrotron powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, revealing three hitherto unobserved nitrogen compounds: β-Zn₃N₂, α-ZnN₄, and β-ZnN₄, formed at 35.0, 63.5, and 81.7 GPa, respectively. Whereas β-Zn₃N₂ contains the N^3- nitride, both ZnN₄ solids are found to be composed of polyacetylene-like [N₄]_∞^2- chains. Upon the decompression of β-ZnN₄ below 72.7 GPa, a first-order displacive phase transition is observed from β-ZnN₄ to α-ZnN₄. The α-ZnN₄ phase is detected down to 11.0 GPa, at lower pressures decomposing into the known α-Zn₃N₂ (space group Ia3̅) and N₂. The equations of states of β-ZnN₄ and α-ZnN₄ are also determined, and their bulk moduli are found to be K₀ = 126(9) GPa and K₀ = 76(12) GPa, respectively. Density functional theory calculations were also performed and provide further insight into the Zn-N system. Moreover, comparing the Mg-N and Zn-N systems underlines the importance of minute chemical differences between metal cations in the resulting synthesized phases.