We focus on the ferric end-member of phase H: ε-FeOOH using density functional theory at the PBEsol+U level. At 300 K, we find that ε-FeOOH undergoes a hydrogen bond symmetrization at 37 GPa and a sharp high-spin to low-spin transition at 45 GPa. We find excellent agreement with experimental measurements of the equation of state, lattice parameters, atomic positions, vibrational frequencies, and optical properties as related to the band gap, which we find to be finite and small, decreasing with pressure. The hydrogen bond symmetrization transition is neither first-nor second-order, with no discontinuity in volume or any of the elastic moduli. Computed IR and Raman frequencies and intensities show that vibrational spectroscopy may provide the best opportunity for locating the hydrogen bond symmetrization transition experimentally. We find that ε-FeOOH is highly anisotropic in both longitudinal- and shear-wave velocities at all pressures, with the shear wave velocity varying with propagation and polarization direction by as much as 24% at zero pressure and 43% at 46 GPa. The shear and bulk elastic moduli increase by 18% across the high-spin to low-spin transition.
Intermolecular coupling and fluxional behavior of hydrogen in phase IV
We performed Raman and infrared (IR) spectroscopy measurements of hydrogen at 295 K up to 280 GPa at an IR synchrotron facility of the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF). To reach the highest pressure, hydrogen was loaded into toroidal diamond anvils with 30-μm central culet. The intermolecular coupling has been determined by concomitant measurements of the IR and Raman vibron modes. In phase IV, we find that the intermolecular coupling is much stronger in the graphenelike layer (G layer) of elongated molecules compared to the Br 2 -like layer (B layer) of shortened molecules and it increases with pressure much faster in the G layer compared to the B layer. These heterogeneous lattice dynamical properties are unique features of highly fluxional hydrogen phase IV.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 1763287
- PAR ID:
- 10150571
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Volume:
- 116
- Issue:
- 51
- ISSN:
- 0027-8424
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 25512 to 25515
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
Abstract -
Kaolinite is formed by weathering of continental crustal rocks and is also found in marine sediments in the tropical region. Kaolinite and other layered hydrous silicate minerals are likely to play a vital role in transporting water into the Earth’s interior via subducting slabs. Recent studies have experimentally documented the expansion of the interlayer region by intercalation of water molecules at high pressures i.e., pressure-induced hydration. This is counter-intuitive since the interlayer region in the layered silicates is quite compressible, so it is important to understand the underlying mechanism that causes intercalation and expansion of the interlayer region. To address this, we explore the high-pressure behavior of natural kaolinite from Keokuk, Iowa. This sample is free of anatase impurities and thus helps to examine both low-energy (0–1200 cm−1) and high-energy hydroxyl (3000–4000 cm−1) regions using Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron-based powder X-ray diffraction. Our results show that the pressure dependence of the hydroxyl modes exhibits discontinuities at ~3 GPa and ~ 6.5 GPa. This is related to the polytypic transformation of Kaolinite from K-1 to K-II and K-II to K-III phase. Several low-energy Raman modes’ pressure dependence also exhibits similar discontinuous behavior. The synchrotron-based powder X-ray diffraction results also indicate discontinuous behavior in the pressure dependence of the unit-cell volume and lattice parameters. The analysis of the bulk and the linear compressibility reveals that kaolinite is extremely anisotropic and is likely to aid its geophysical detectability in subduction zone settings. The K-I to K-II polytypic transition is marked by the snapping of hydrogen bonds, thus at conditions relevant to the Earth’s interior, water molecules intercalate in the interlayer region and stabilize the crystal structure and help form the super-hydrated kaolinite which can transport significantly more water into the Earth’s interior.more » « less
-
The electrical properties of graphene on dielectric substrates, such as silicon carbide (SiC), have received much attention due to their interesting applications. This work presents a method to grow graphene on a 6H-SiC substrate at a pressure of 35 Torr by using the hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) technique. The graphene deposition was conducted in an atmosphere of methane and hydrogen at a temperature of 950 °C. The graphene films were analyzed using Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Raman mapping and AFM measurements indicated that few-layer and multilayer graphene were deposited from the external carbon source depending on the growth parameter conditions. The compositional analysis confirmed the presence of graphene deposition on SiC substrates and the absence of any metal involved in the growth process.more » « less
-
null (Ed.)We used a combination of polarized Raman spectroscopy experiment and model magnetism–phonon coupling calculations to study the rich magneto-Raman effect in the two-dimensional (2D) magnet CrI 3 . We reveal a layered-magnetism–assisted phonon scattering mechanism below the magnetic onset temperature, whose Raman excitation breaks time-reversal symmetry, has an antisymmetric Raman tensor, and follows the magnetic phase transitions across critical magnetic fields, on top of the presence of the conventional phonon scattering with symmetric Raman tensors in N -layer CrI 3 . We resolve in data and by calculations that the first-order A g phonon of the monolayer splits into an N -fold multiplet in N -layer CrI 3 due to the interlayer coupling ( N ≥ 2 ) and that the phonons within the multiplet show distinct magnetic field dependence because of their different layered-magnetism–phonon coupling. We further find that such a layered-magnetism–phonon coupled Raman scattering mechanism extends beyond first-order to higher-order multiphonon scattering processes. Our results on the magneto-Raman effect of the first-order phonons in the multiplet and the higher-order multiphonons in N -layer CrI 3 demonstrate the rich and strong behavior of emergent magneto-optical effects in 2D magnets and underline the unique opportunities of spin–phonon physics in van der Waals layered magnets.more » « less
-
Reversible intermolecular interactions play critical roles in nature. However, it is still challenging to monitor the dynamic intermolecular interactions at the single-molecule level in aqueous solution. Here, we studied the dynamic changes of intermolecular interactions at the carboxyl/carboxyl interfaces between a pair of molecules trapped in a plasmonic nanocavity formed between a gold nanoparticle (GNP) and a gold nanoelectrode (GNE). The development of intermolecular interactions, including the appearance of hydrogen bonds (h-bonds), during and after single GNP collision events on the GNE, was monitored by time-resolved surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy at a tens of milliseconds time resolution. Spectral fingerprints of the carboxyl group corresponding to non-specific intermolecular interactions and h-bonds are identified. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the strength of intermolecular interaction could be mechanically modulated by changing the applied bias at the GNE, which resulted in small and controllable changes in the nanogap distance. Unlike non-specific intermolecular interactions, the intermolecular h-bonds can only be formed stochastically and are more sensitive to the gap distance modulation. This report demonstrates a new approach to modulate and probe intermolecular interactions within nanogaps.more » « less