Superhard semiconducting optically transparent high pressure phase of boron
(2009) Physical Review Letters — Vol. 102, n° 18, p. 1-4 (2009)
Files
No attached file found for this publication.
Details
- Authors
- Abstract
- An orthorhombic (space group Pnnm) boron phase was synthesized at pressures above 9GPa and high temperature, and it was demonstrated to be stable at least up to 30GPa. The structure, determined by single-crystal x-ray diffraction, consists of B12 icosahedra and B2 dumbbells. The charge density distribution obtained from experimental data and abinitio calculations suggests covalent chemical bonding in this phase. Strong covalent interatomic interactions explain the low compressibility value (bulk modulus is K300=227GPa) and high hardness of high-pressure boron (Vickers hardness HV=58GPa), after diamond the second hardest elemental material. © 2009 The American Physical Society.
- Affiliations
ESRF, Grenoble (France) Chimie
Citations
Zarechnaya, E. Yu., Dubrovinsky, L., Dubrovinskaia, N., Filinchuk, Y., Chernyshov, D., Dmitriev, V., Miyajima, N., El Goresy, A., Braun, H. F., Van Smaalen, S., Kantor, I., Kantor, A., Prakapenka, V., Hanfland, M., Mikhaylushkin, A. S., Abrikosov, I. A., & Simak, S. I. (2009). Superhard semiconducting optically transparent high pressure phase of boron. Physical Review Letters, 102(18), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.185501 (Original work published 2009)