Pressure-enhanced superconductivity in cage-type quasiskutterudite ScRhSnsingle crystal.

ScRhSnwith a cage-type quasiskutterudite crystal lattice and type II superconductivity, with superconducting transition temperature= 4.99 K, was investigated under hydrostatic high-pressure (HP) using electrical transport, synchrotron x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. Our data show that HP enhance the metallic nature andof the system.

Hybrid Ni-Boron Nitride Nanotube Magnetic Semiconductor-A New Material for Spintronics.

Here, we report the presence of ferromagnetism in hybrid nickel-boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) with an ordered structure, synthesized by chemical vapor deposition using elemental boron, nickel oxide as the catalyst, and ammonia gas as the source for nitrogen. In previous studies, the nanotubes were synthesized with two metal oxide catalysts, whereas here, only a single catalyst was used. The nanotube's structure was determined by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.

A chitosan grafted mesoporous carbon aerogel for ultra-sensitive voltammetric determination of isoniazid.

A screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) was modified with chitosan (Chit) supported on carbon aerogel (CA) to obtain an electrochemical sensor for the tuberculosis drug isoniazid (INZ). The interconnected mesoporous structure of Chit/CA provides a large surface area (S = 461 m g) and good porosity (V = 0.69 cm g).

Complex magnetic structure and magnetocapacitance response in a non-oxide NiF system.

We report here on the complex magnetic structure and magnetocapacitance in NiF, a non-oxide multifunctional system. It undergoes an anti-ferromagnetic transition near 68.5 K, superimposed with canted Ni spin driven weak ferromagnetic ordering, followed by a metastable ferromagnetic phase at or below 10 K.

Stability of magnesiowustite in Earth's lower mantle.

Magnesiowüstite [(Mg,Fe)O] is the second most abundant mineral of Earth's lower mantle. Understanding its stability under lower mantle conditions is crucial for interpreting the physical and chemical properties of the whole Earth. Previous studies in an externally heated diamond anvil cell suggested that magnesiowüstites decompose into two components, Fe-rich and Mg-rich magnesiowüstites at 86 GPa and 1,000 K.

High-pressure transformations in xenon hydrates.

A high-pressure investigation of the Xe*H(2)O chemical system was conducted by using diamond-anvil cell techniques combined with in situ Raman spectroscopy, synchrotron x-ray diffraction, and laser heating. Structure I xenon clathrate was observed to be stable up to 1.8 GPa, at which pressure it transforms to a new Xe clathrate phase stable up to 2.

Nuclear inelastic x-ray scattering of FeO to 48 GPa.

The partial density of vibrational states has been measured for Fe in compressed FeO (wüstite) using nuclear resonant inelastic x-ray scattering. Substantial changes have been observed in the overall shape of the density of states close to the magnetic transition around 20 GPa from the paramagnetic (low pressure) to the antiferromagnetic (high pressure) state. The results indicate that strong magnetoelastic coupling in FeO is the driving force behind the changes in the phonon spectrum of FeO.

Spectroscopic studies of the vibrational and electronic properties of solid hydrogen to 285 GPa.

We report Raman scattering and visible to near-infrared absorption spectra of solid hydrogen under static pressure up to 285 GPa between 20 and 140 K. We obtain pressure dependences of vibron and phonon modes consistent with results previously determined to lower pressures. The results indicate the stability of the ordered molecular phase III to the highest pressure reached and provide constraints on the insulator-to-metal transition pressure.

Novel broken symmetry phase from N(2)O at high pressures and high temperatures.

Simple molecular solids become unstable at high pressures, typically transforming to dense framework and/or metallic structures. We report formation of an unusual ionic solid NO(+)NO(3)(-) (nitrosonium nitrate) from N(2)O at pressures above 20 GPa and temperatures above 1000 K. Synchrotron x-ray diffraction indicates that the compound crystallizes with a structure related to the aragonite form of CaCO(3) and NaNO(3).

New transformations of CO(2) at high pressures and temperatures.

CO(2) laser heating of solid CO(2) at pressures between 30 and 80 GPa shows that this compound breaks down to oxygen and diamond along a boundary having a negative P-T slope. This decomposition occurs at temperatures much lower than predicted in theory or inferred from previous experiment. Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction were used as structural probes.

Superconductivity in boron.

Metals formed from light elements are predicted to exhibit intriguing states of electronic order. Of these materials, those containing boron are of considerable current interest because of their relatively high superconducting temperatures. We have investigated elemental boron to very high pressure using diamond anvil cell electrical conductivity techniques.

Semiconducting non-molecular nitrogen up to 240 GPa and its low-pressure stability.

The triple bond of diatomic nitrogen has among the greatest binding energies of any molecule. At low temperatures and pressures, nitrogen forms a molecular crystal in which these strong bonds co-exist with weak van der Waals interactions between molecules, producing an insulator with a large band gap. As the pressure is raised on molecular crystals, intermolecular interactions increase and the molecules eventually dissociate to form monoatomic metallic solids, as was first predicted for hydrogen.

Phonon density of states of iron up to 153 gigapascals.

We report phonon densities of states (DOS) of iron measured by nuclear resonant inelastic x-ray scattering to 153 gigapascals and calculated from ab initio theory. Qualitatively, they are in agreement, but the theory predicts density at higher energies. From the DOS, we derive elastic and thermodynamic parameters of iron, including shear modulus, compressional and shear velocities, heat capacity, entropy, kinetic energy, zero-point energy, and Debye temperature.

Observation of cation reordering during the olivine-spinel transition in fayalite by in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction at high pressure and temperature.

The olivine-spinel phase transition in fayalite at high pressure and temperature has been studied using time-resolved x-ray diffraction. Structure refinements show a delay of cation reordering relative to anions during the phase transformation and an increase in the cell volume while the cations reorder into their sites. A significant stress drop in the sample is observed.

New ortho-para conversion mechanism in dense solid hydrogen.

Analysis of recent measurements of striking changes in the rate of ortho-para conversion of solid H(2) up to 58 GPa shows that the conversion mechanism must differ from that at ambient pressure. A new conversion mechanism is identified in which the emerging excitations are coupled to the converting molecules via electric quadrupole-quadrupole rather than nuclear spin-spin interactions. The latter only initiates conversion while the coupling enhancement associated with the new mechanism is ensured by high compression and a gap closing, with the conversion energy diminishing strongly with increasing pressure.

Elasticity of MgO and a primary pressure scale to 55 GPa.

We have studied the elasticity and pressure-density equation of state of MgO in diamond cells to 55 GPa and have doubled the previous pressure limit of accurate elasticity determinations for crystals. Integrating single-crystal velocity data from Brillouin scattering measurements and density data from polycrystalline x-ray diffraction, we obtained the three principal elastic tensor elements (C(11), C(12), and C(44)) and various secondary elasticity parameters, including single-crystal elastic anisotropy, Cauchy relation, aggregate sound velocities, and Poisson's ratio, as functions of pressure. The present study also provides a direct determination of pressure without recourse to any prior pressure standard, thus creating a primary pressure scale.

Moissanite: a window for high-pressure experiments.

We achieved a pressure of 52.1 gigapascals with moissanite anvils, which have optical, thermal, electric, magnetic, and x-ray properties that rival those of diamond. The mode-softening of D(2)O toward the pressure-induced hydrogen bond symmetrization and the Raman shifts of diamond under hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic compressions were studied with moissanite anvils in the spectral regions normally obscured by diamond anvils.

Effects of high pressure on molecules.

Recent high-pressure studies reveal a wealth of new information about the behavior of molecular materials subjected to pressures well into the multimegabar range (several hundred gigapascal), corresponding to compressions in excess of an order of magnitude. Under such conditions, bonding patterns established for molecular systems near ambient conditions change dramatically, causing profound effects on numerous physical and chemical properties and leading to the formation of new classes of materials. Representative systems are examined to illustrate key phenomena, including the evolution of structure and bonding with compression; pressure-induced phase transitions and chemical reactions; pressure-tuning of vibrational dynamics, quantum effects, and excited electronic states; and novel states of electronic and magnetic order.

High-pressure elasticity of alpha-quartz: instability and ferroelastic transition.

The single-crystal elastic moduli of alpha-quartz were measured to above 20 GPa in a diamond-anvil cell by Brillouin spectroscopy. The behavior of the elastic moduli indicates that the high-pressure phase transition in quartz is ferroelastic in nature and is driven by softening of C44 through one of the Born stability criteria. The trends in elastic moduli confirm theoretical predictions, but there are important differences, particularly with respect to the magnitudes of the B(i).

Effect of defects on the elastic properties of Wustite.

Wustite (FexO) has been studied under static high pressure in the composition range x = 0.95-0.99.

Optical evidence for a nonmolecular phase of nitrogen above 150 GPa.

Optical spectroscopy techniques, including visible and near infrared (IR) Raman and synchrotron IR methods have been applied to study solid nitrogen at megabar pressures. We find that nitrogen becomes totally opaque above 150 GPa, accompanied by the disappearance of Raman and IR vibrational excitations, while new broad IR and Raman bands become visible. Optical absorption measurements reveal that the semiconducting absorption edge responsible for the change of color is characterized by the presence of a wide Urbach-like tail and a high-energy (Tauc) region.

Electrical conductivity of xenon at megabar pressures.

The electrical transport properties of solid xenon were directly measured at pressures up to 155 GPa and temperatures from 300 K to 27 mK. The temperature dependence of resistance changed from semiconducting to metallic at pressures between 121 and 138 GPa, revealing direct proof of metallization of a rare-gas solid by electrical transport measurements. Anomalies in the conductivity are observed at low temperatures in the vicinity of the transition such that purely metallic behavior is observed only at 155 GPa over the entire temperature range.

Raman spectroscopy of iron to 152 gigapascals: implications for Earth's inner core.

Raman spectra of hexagonal close-packed iron (varepsilon-Fe) have been measured from 15 to 152 gigapascals by using diamond-anvil cells with ultrapure synthetic diamond anvils. The results give a Gruneisen parameter gamma(0) = 1.68 (+/-0.

Thermal equation of state of aluminum-enriched silicate perovskite.

Inferences of the chemical homogeneity of Earth's mantle depend on comparing laboratory-derived equations of state of mantle phases with seismically determined properties of the material in situ. A uniform chemical composition of the entire mantle has been found to be consistent with measurements, to date, of these properties for the end-member MgSiO3 perovskite phase. New pressure-volume-temperature data for silicate perovskite containing 5 mole percent Al2O3 has yielded different values of the equation of state parameters, with the bulk modulus being significantly smaller at lower mantle conditions than for aluminum-free perovskite, thus requiring adjustments in other components to match seismic observations.

Implications of Mars Pathfinder data for the accretion history of the terrestrial planets.

Accretion models of the terrestrial planets often assume planetary bulk compositions with nonvolatile element abundance ratios equivalent to those of C1 carbonaceous chondrites. The moment of inertia factor of Mars reported by the Pathfinder team is inconsistent with a bulk planet C1 Fe/Si ratio or Fe content, which suggests that C1 chondrite accretion models are insufficient to explain the formation of Mars and the other terrestrial planets. Future planetary accretion models will have to account for variations in bulk Fe/Si ratios among the terrestrial planets.