The previously proposed theoretical and experimental structures, bond characterization, and compressibility of Mg（BH4）2 in a pressure range from 0 to 10 GPa are studied by ab initio density-functional calculations. It is found that the ambient pressure phases of meta-stable I41/amd and unstable P-3ml proposed recently are extra stable and cannot decompose under high pressure. Enthalpy calculation indicates that the ground state of F222 structure proposed by Zhou et al. [2009 Phys. Rev. B 79 212102] will transfer to I41/amd at 0.7 GPa, and then to a P-3ml structure at 6.3 GPa. The experimental P6122 structure （a-phase） transfers to I41/amd at 1.2 GPa. Furthermore, both I41/arnd and P-3ml can exist as high volumetric hydrogen density phases at low pressure. Their theoretical volumetric hydrogen densities reach 146.351 g H2/L and 134.028 g H2/L at ambient pressure, respectively. The calculated phonon dispersion curve shows that the I41/amd phase is dynamically stable in a pressure range from 0 to 4 CPa and the P-3ral phase is stable at pressures higher than 1 GPa. So the I41/arnd phase may be synthesized under high pressure and retained to ambient pressure. Energy band structures show that they are both always ionic crystalline and insulating with a band-gap of about 5 eV in this pressure range. In addition, they each have an anisotropic compressibility. The c axis of these structures is easy to compress. Especially, the c axis and volume of P-3ml phase are extraordinarily compressible, showing that compression along the e axis can increase the volumetric hydrogen content for both I41/amd and P-3ml structures.
The high-pressure behavior of solid hydrogen has been investigated by in situ Raman spectroscopy upon compression to 300 GPa at ambient temperature. The hydrogen vibron frequency begins to decrease after it initially increases with pressure up to 38 GPa. This softening behavior suggests the weakening of the intramolecular bond and the increased intermolecular interactions. Above 237 GPa, the vibron frequency softens very rapidly with pressure at a much higher rate than that of phase HI, corresponding to transformation from phase III into phase IV. The phase transition sequence has been confirmed from phase I to phase III and then to phase IV at 208 and 237 GPa, respectively. Previous theoretical calculations lead to the proposal of an energetically favorable monoclinic C2/c structure for phase HI and orthorhombic Pbcn structure for phase IV. Up to 304 GPa, solid hydrogen is not yet an alkali metal since the sample is still transparent.
Structures of ammonium bromide under high pressure were investigated through ab initio evolutionary algorithm and total-energy calculations based on density functional theory. Static enthalpy calculations indicate that the low-pressure phase V(space group P4/nmm) transforms into a monoclinic P21/m structure at 71 GPa and then an orthorhombic structure Cmma at 130 GPa, which is found to be energetically stable up to 264 GPa. Mechanism of phonon softening at the P4/nmm P21/m transformation is discussed. Ab initio calculations show that the band overlap in the molecular Cmma phase, which causes the pressure-induced insulator-to-metal transition, occurs at about 240 GPa. Enthalpy calculations show that Cmma NH4 Br becomes unstable and dissociates into NH3 and HBr above 264 GPa.
Fu-Bo TianDa LiDe-Fang DuanChang-Bo ChenZhi HeXiao-Jing ShaZhong-Long ZhaoBing-Bing LiuTian Cui
