Zhen-Xing Qin

Phase transformations and vibrational properties of coronene under pressure

Both the vibrational and structural properties of coronene have been investigated upon compression up to 30.5 GPa at room temperature by a combination of Raman scattering and synchrotron x-ray diffraction measurements. The spectroscopic and crystallographic results demonstrate that two pressure-induced structural phase transitions take place at 1.5 GPa and 12.2 GPa where the high-pressure phases are identified as monoclinic and orthorhombic crystal structures with space groups of P2/m and Pmmm, respectively. A kink in the slope of the cell parameters as a function of pressure is associated with the disappearance of several internal Raman modes, which suggests the existence of structural distortions or reorganizations at approximately 6.0 GPa. Above 17.1 GPa, almost no evidence of crystallinity can be observed, indicating a possible transformation of coronene into an amorphous phase.

Structural and vibrational properties of phenanthrene under pressure

The structural and vibrational properties of phenanthrene are measured at high pressures up to 30.2 GPa by Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron X-ray diffraction techniques. Two phase transitions are observed in the Raman spectra at pressures of 2.3 GPa and 5.4 GPa which correspond to significant changes of intermolecular and intramolecular vibrational modes. Above 10.2 GPa, all the Raman peaks are lost within the fluorescence background; however, upon further compression above 20.0 GPa, three broad peaks are observed at 1600, 2993, and 3181 cm(-1), indicating that phenanthrene has transformed into amorphous phase. Using X-ray diffraction, the structures of corresponding phases observed from Raman spectra are indexed with space groups of P2(1) for phase I (0-2.2 GPa), P2/m for phase II (2.2-5.6 GPa), P2/m+Pmmm for phase III (5.6-11.4 GPa) which has a coexistence of structures, and above 11.4 GPa the structure is indexed with space group of Pmmm. Although phenanthrene has transformed to a hydrogenated amorphous carbon structure above 20.0 GPa, these amorphous clusters still show characteristic crystalline behavior based on our X-ray diffraction patterns. Our results suggest that the long-range periodicity and the local disorder state coexist in phenanthrene at high pressures.

Pressure effect on structural and vibrational properties of Y-substituted BiFeO3

The structural and vibrational properties of 5% Y-substituted BiFeO3 under pressure have been investigated using synchrotron x-ray diffraction (SXRD) and Raman scattering measurements. At a pressure below 30.3 GPa, distinct changes in the Raman spectra and SRXD pattern show evidence for one pressure-induced structural transition from the polar rhombohedral R3c phase to the nonpolar orthorhombic Pnma phase commencing at 3.6 and completed at 7.2 GPa, where there is a region of phase coexistence between the R3c and Pnma phases. At a higher pressure of 40.8 GPa, another phase transition from orthorhombic to cubic is observed accompanied by the insulator-metal transition. Our data do not suggest the pressure-induced re-entrance of ferroelectricity in the model multiferroic Bi0.95Fe0.05O3 in the pressure range studied.

Vibrational and structural properties of tetramethyltin under pressure

The vibrational and structural properties of a hydrogen-rich group IVa hydride, Sn(CH(3))(4), have been investigated by combining Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron x-ray diffraction measurements at room temperature and at pressures up to 49.9 GPa. Both techniques allow the obtaining of complementary information on the high-pressure behaviors and yield consistent phase transitions at 0.9 GPa for the liquid to solid and 2.8, 10.4, 20.4, and 32.6 GPa for the solid to solid. The foregoing solid phases are identified to have the orthorhombic, tetragonal, monoclinic crystal structures with space groups of Pmmm for phase I, P4/mmm for phase II, P2/m for phase III, respectively. The phases IV and V coexist with phase III, resulting in complex analysis on the possible structures. These transitions suggest the variation in the inter- and intra-molecular bonding of this compound.

Structural Transition and Magnetic Property of Bi1−xYbxFeO3

Bi1−xYbxFeO3(0≤x≤0.2) powders have been synthesized using a sol‐gel method. The X‐ray diffraction data show a structural transition from the rhombohedral R3c phase to the orthorhombic Pnma phase between x=0.1 and 0.125, which should induce a ferroelectric‐paraelectric transformation. The phase transition is also proven by the Raman spectroscopy. A moderate signal on magnetization appears to illustrate the enhancement of magnetization at the transformation boundary, which is suggested to be the destruction of the spin cycloid structure at low concentration. The appearance of antiferromagnetic ordering is proposed to account for the afterward reduction of the magnetization at high concentration.

High-pressure phases of a hydrogen-rich compound: Tetramethylgermane

The vibrational and structural properties of a hydrogen-rich group IVa hydride, Ge(CH3)4, are studied by combining Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron x-ray diffraction measurements at room temperature and at pressures up to 30.2 GPa. Both techniques allowthe obtaining of complementary information on the high-pressure behaviors and yield consistent phase transitions at 1.4 GPa for the liquid to solid and 3.0, 5.4, and 20.3 GPa for the solid to solid. The four high-pressure solid phases are identified to have the cubic, orthorhombic, monoclinic, and monoclinic crystal structures with space groups of Pa-3 for phase I, Pnma for phase II, P21/c for phase III, and P21 for phase IV, respectively. These transitions are suggested to result from the changes in the interand intramolecular bonding of this compound. The softening of some Raman modes on CH3 groups and their sudden disappearance indicate that Ge(CH3)4 might be an ideal compound to realize metallization and even high-temperature superconductivity at modest static pressure for laboratory capability.

High-pressure study of tetramethylsilane by Raman spectroscopy

High-pressure behavior of tetramethylsilane, one of the Group IVa hydrides, was investigated by Raman scattering measurements at pressures up to 142 GPa and room temperature. Our results revealed the phase transitions at 0.6, 9, and 16 GPa from both the mode frequency shifts with pressure and the changes of the full width half maxima of these modes. These transitions were suggested to result from the changes in the inter- and intra-molecular bonding of this material. We also observed two other possible phase transitions at 49-69 GPa and 96 GPa. No indication of metallization in tetramethylsilane was found with stepwise compression to 142 GPa.

Phase transitions in a hydrogen-rich compound: tetramethylsilane

High-pressure behavior of tetramethylsilane is investigated by synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering at pressures up to 30 GPa and room temperature. Our results reveal the analogous phase transitions, though slight hysteresis for the certain phases. A new phase is found to appear at 4.2 GPa due to the disappeared Raman mode. These findings offer the possibility to understand the evolution of the H-H bonding with pressure in such hydrogen-rich compounds.