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Helium compounds hidden in the universe: How do scientists break through traditional ideas?
Helium, the smallest and lightest noble gas, has long been thought to participate in almost no chemical reactions. Its first ionization energy (24.57 eV) is the highest among all elements, and its complete electron shell does not easily absorb additional electrons or form covalent compounds. Even so, recent research in the scientific community has challenged this conventional wisdom, exploring potential compounds of helium in extreme environments. These new findings not only advance our understanding of helium, they also allow us to rethink the boundaries of chemical binding.
Helium has almost zero electron affinity, which has led people to believe that helium does not form compounds. However, under extremely high pressure and low temperatures, helium may combine with other elements to form stable compounds.
The properties of helium allow it to form a solid phase with a unique structure in the universe. For example, helium can combine with sodium (Na) at pressures up to 113 GPa to form a disodium helium compound (Na2He). This compound is predicted to be thermodynamically stable at pressures of 160 GPa, and its cubic crystal structure is similar to fluorspar, showing that helium's behavior under extreme conditions cannot be ignored.
Scientists' interest in helium compounds lies not only in the wonder of their formation, but also in the possible existence of these compounds inside planets and in more extreme cosmic environments.
In addition to binding to sodium, scientists first observed helium entering the silicate structure in 2007. When pressure is increased, helium can be incorporated into the mineral helium-melted polymer (melanophlogite), significantly increasing its resistance to deformation. For this particular helium-silicate compound, the presence of helium is crucial because it protects the silicate from swelling and shrinking under high pressure.
Helium's reactivity has also been confirmed under the right circumstances. For example, helium can form molecular compounds with other small molecules such as nitrogen (N2). These reactions are under extreme conditions. Surprisingly, such chemical reactions cannot proceed under normal circumstances.
When the pressure rises to a certain level, helium can effectively combine with other elements, which challenges our basic understanding of noble gases and their properties.
New research on helium, such as the formation of helium sandwich compounds, shows how helium can enter compounds such as fullerene through its unique structure. In fact, scientists have confirmed that helium can exist in the structure of C60 and C70, and it has good diffusion ability, which allows helium in a high-pressure environment to induce structural transformation during the formation of the solid state.
What is striking is the possibility that helium can appear in combination with other substances in some extreme celestial bodies, which undoubtedly gives us a deeper understanding and insight into the chemical reactions of the universe. Understanding how such compounds affect us is not only of academic interest but may also have implications for future missions to interstellar travel or other planets.
Although helium has extremely low reactivity with most chemical elements, it can form unique compounds in high-pressure environments that were unimaginable in the past.
Further discussion, the formation of helium impurities and their combinations not only covers the scope of all noble gases in theory, but also leads to many new gases or solids such as helium-nitrogen (N2) and helium-water (H2O) hybrids materials, and their potential to emerge in high-pressure and low-temperature environments has increased our interest in these materials.
Scientific exploration never stops. With the advancement of technology and the update of new tools, in-depth research on helium compounds allows us to explore their potential applications and environments. How can these helium compounds help future exploration of the universe? What new perspectives and revelations will it bring?
