High-pressure nitride materials: towards the controllable and scalable synthesis in a diamond anvil cell

Introduction

Over the past decade, a branch of solid-state inorganic chemistry has emerged that aims at the discovery of novel atypical compounds under high-pressure conditions. Nevertheless, the need for modern technology in new materials, which are available only from high-pressure synthesis, can be fulfilled only if these materials are produced in measurable quantities via a controlled and reproducible process.

Focus of HIPMAT

Within HIPMAT, I will focus on the synthesis of nitride materials – a class of compounds with outstanding and diverse physical and chemical properties. These materials find applications as ultrahard materials as well as in semiconductor technology.

Objectives of HIPMAT

The overarching aim of HIPMAT is to address the challenges of high-pressure synthesis, which lie beyond simple material discovery. We will:

1. Utilize new opportunities provided by the European X-ray Free Electron Laser for studying mechanisms of high-pressure nitridation reactions.
2. Employ a combination of pulsed laser-heating and ultrafast X-ray probing.
3. Gain knowledge of the reaction mechanisms and kinetics to choose reaction conditions favoring maximum amounts of desired products.

Upscaling Synthesis

Next, we will focus on the upscaling of the synthesis of the most promising high-pressure nitrides by:

• Developing novel precursors.
• Performing the synthesis in newly developed large-volume diamond anvil cells.

Expected Outcomes

HIPMAT will not only result in the discovery of a plethora of novel high-pressure materials but will also provide a deep understanding of the mechanisms underlying chemical synthesis at high-pressure conditions. This will enable controllable large-scale synthesis of new functional materials.

Broader Impact

The methods developed within HIPMAT will be applicable to other classes of materials and will represent an important contribution to the field of solid-state inorganic chemistry and materials science.