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The structural evolution with pressure of icy mixtures of simple molecules is a poorly explored field despite the fundamental role they play in setting the properties of the crustal icy layer of the outer planets and of their satellites. Water and ammonia are the two major components of these mixtures, and the crystal properties of the two pure systems and of their compounds have been studied at high pressures in a certain detail. On the contrary, the study of their heterogeneous crystalline mixtures whose properties, due to the strong N–H⋯O and O–H⋯N hydrogen bonds, can be substantially altered with respect to the individual species has so far been overlooked. In this work, we performed a comparative Raman study with a high spatial resolution of the lattice phonon spectrum of both pure ammonia and water–ammonia mixtures in a pressure range of great interest for modeling the properties of icy planets’ interiors. Lattice phonon spectra represent the spectroscopic signature of the molecular crystals’ structure. The activation of a phonon mode in plastic NH3-III attests to a progressive reduction in the orientational disorder, which corresponds to a site symmetry reduction. This spectroscopic hallmark allowed us to solve the pressure evolution of H2O–NH3–AHH (ammonia hemihydrate) solid mixtures, which present a remarkably different behavior from the pure crystals likely to be ascribed to the role of the strong H-bonds between water and ammonia molecules characterizing the crystallites’ surface.

Carbon nanothreads are likely the most attracting new materials produced under high pressure conditions. Their synthesis is achieved by compressing crystals of different small aromatic molecules, while also exploiting the applied anisotropic stress to favor nontopochemical paths. The threads are nanometric hollow structures of saturated carbon atoms, reminiscent of the starting aromatic molecule, gathered in micron sized bundles. The examples collected so far suggest that their formation can be a general phenomenon, thus enabling the design of functionalities and properties by suitably choosing the starting monomer on the basis of its chemical properties and crystal arrangement. The presence of heteroatoms or unsaturation within the thread is appealing for improving the processability and tuning the electronic properties. Suitable simple chromophores can fulfill these requirements and their controlled insertion along the thread would represent a considerable step forward in tailoring the optical and electronic properties of these mechanically extraordinary materials. Here, we report the synthesis and extensive characterization of double core nanothreads linked by azo groups. This is achieved by compressing azobenzene in a diamond anvil cell, the archetype of a wide class of dyes, and represents a fundamental step in the realization of nanothreads with tailored photochemical and photophysical properties., One-step high-pressure synthesis of 2D crystalline double nanothreads linked by azo groups.

The formation of a clathrate hydrate crystal is characterized by several steps, each of them distinguished by a different structural arrangement and temporal duration. A precise definition of these different forms is a challenging task, because the entirety of the formation dynamics spans over a time interval ranging from few nanoseconds to several days. Computational methods are powerful and essential to define the nucleation step, but they fail in providing a reliable picture of the long-range order establishment. On the other side, the experimental methods employed in the study of the growth dynamics usually monitor the hydrate growth at the interface with the fluid and thus are limited by the diffusion of the guest molecules through the newly formed hydrate phase. This problem is overcome here by the confinement of an argon hydrate sample in a sapphire anvil cell, allowing monitoring of the melting and crystallization of hydrates under moderate pressures by FTIR and Raman spectroscopies. This approach, besides providing a spectroscopic characterization of this hydrate, allowed the time windows characteristic of the formation of a macroscopic amorphous phase to be identified, possibly coincident with the so-called blob, and its rapid evolution toward the achievement of the local structure. Long-range ordering takes place on a longer time scale, most of it is realized in few hours but still evolving for weeks. No hints for supporting the so-called memory effect are gained through this study.

The synthesis of hydrogenated carbon nanothreads at tens of GPa from aromatic systems is one of the most brilliant recent findings in high-pressure science. C-nanothreads combine the high tensile strength of diamond with the high flexibility of polymers, and many efforts are currently being undertaken to taylor some useful physicochemical properties by smartly modifying their local structure. We present the synthesis of double core diamond-like nanothreads with the two cores being bound by a conjugated C, polyacetylene-like backbone. The two cores also form a protecting sheath for the backbone. This material exhibits an optical bandgap of 1.74 eV, similar to polyacetyelene; it is then very attractive as a potential organic semiconductor with simultaneous outstanding mechanical properties. The synthesis was achieved by reacting diphenylacetylene in diamond anvil cells, at 25-30 GPa and room temperature, and the materials were characterized by optical spectroscopy, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, and ab initio computer simulations.

The nature of hydrogen bond (HB) interactions is still far from being understood despite intense experimental and theoretical studies on this subject carried out by the leading research centers. In this paper, by a combination of unique high-pressure infrared, dielectric and volumetric data, the intramolecular dynamics of hydroxyl moieties (which provides direct information about Hbonds) was studied along various isolines, i.e., isotherms, isobars, isochrones, and isochores, in a simple monohydroxy alcohol (2-ethyl-1-hexanol). This allowed us to discover that the temperature controls the intermolecular hydrogen bonds, which then affect the intramolecular dynamics of O-H units. Although the role of density fluctuations gets stronger as temperature rises. We also demonstrated a clear connection between the intra- and intermolecular dynamics of the associating liquid at high pressure. The data reported herein open a new perspective to explore this important aspect of the glass transition phenomenon and understand H-bonding interactions at varying thermodynamic conditions.

Carbon nanothreads are the most exciting carbon based nanomaterials recently discovered. Obtained by compressing aromatics around 20 GPa, they are characterized by potentially exceptional mechanical properties. The reaction mechanisms have been partly elucidated through computational studies and x-ray diffraction experiments. However, in all these studies, the electronic modifications to which the molecule is subjected with increasing pressure are neglected as also if, and to which extent, the electronic excited states are involved in the high-pressure reactivity. In fact, the pressure increase induces remarkable changes in the electronic properties of molecular crystals, which are often directly related to the reaction’s onset and path. We report the pressure evolution of the two-photon induced emission spectrum of crystalline stilbene, the archetype of a class of molecules from which double-core nanothreads are obtained, with the twofold purpose of gaining insight into the reaction mechanism and monitoring if the structural changes observed in x-ray diffraction studies have a detectable counterpart in the electronic properties of the system. The freezing of the spectral diffusion observed on rising pressure is ascribed to a hampered conformational rearrangement because of the larger stiffness of the local environment. The transition to the high pressure phase where the nanothreads form is revealed by the slope change of the pressure shift of all spectral components, while the progressive intensification with pressure of the 0-0 transition suggests a strengthening of the ethylenic bond favoring the charge delocalization on the benzene moieties, which is likely the trigger of the chemical instability.

Carbon nanothreads are among the most attractive new materials produced under high pressure conditions. Their synthesis can be achieved by compressing the crystals of aromatic molecules exploiting both the anisotropic stress produced by the unidirectional applied force and that intrinsic to the crystal arrangement. We explored here the transformation of pyridine into a nitrogen rich carbon nanothread crystal by varying the pressure and temperature conditions with the twofold purpose of disclosing the microscopic mechanism of transformation and optimizing the yield and quality of the produced crystalline nanothreads. The best conditions for the synthesis were identified in the 14-18 GPa range at temperatures between 400 and 500 K with a product yield greater than 30%. The comparison of experiments performed under different P-T conditions allowed us to understand the role of high temperature, which is necessary to weaken or even destroy the complex H-bond network characterizing the pyridine crystal and preventing the correct approach of the aromatic rings for nanothread formation. X-ray diffraction data confirm the excellent 2D hexagonal packing of the nanothreads over several tens of microns, whereas the sharp absorption lines observed in the IR spectrum strongly support a substantial order along the threads. Diffraction results suggest a polytwistane structure of the threads derived from a Diels-Alder [4 + 2] polymerization involving molecules arranged in a slipped parallel configuration along the pyridine crystal a and b axes. Electron microscopy evidences an arrangement of the nanothreads in bundles of tens of nanometers.

Poly(ionic liquid)s are an interesting class of compounds because of their unique chemical and physical properties gathering the characteristics of ionic liquids and polymers. Pressure and temperature have been demonstrated to be alternative parameters to obtain polymers from monomeric species using only physical tools. In this work, we investigate the reaction under high pressure and room temperature of the ionic liquid 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide by using the diamond anvil cell technique in combination with synchrotron X-ray diffraction and electronic and vibrational spectroscopies. The results indicate a chemical reaction happening through the terminal double bond of the allyl group both in crystalline and glassy phases with the onset of the reaction around ∼7 GPa. Vibrational spectra present evidence for an oligomerization reaction in both the phases. The reaction occurring both in glassy and crystal phases indicates a mechanism not driven by collective motions and likely related to local topological arrangements. The results presented herein extend our understanding of ionic liquid instability boundaries under high pressure and contribute to the development of alternative synthetic routes to achieve poly(ionic liquids).

The presence of ions induces perturbations in the water network, these structural and dynamic modifications can extent over space scales overcoming the local solvation shell: aqueous solutions of sodium perchlorate (NaClO4) are characterized by extended phenomena of structure breaking of the solvent network. The aim of the present work is the experimental investigation of the interplay between the local structural modifications induced by the perchlorate ions and the collective dynamical properties of the solvent. Ultrafast Optical Kerr Effect (OKE) and time resolved infrared absorption are the experimental techniques adopted: OKE is mostly sensitive to the collective properties of the sample, while transient IR provides access to local properties of the solvent. Classical Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations support the analysis of the experimental results. All experiments and simulations are performed at room temperature, varying the concentrations (0–6 M) and varying the applied pressure (10−4–1.3 GPa). Experiments and computer simulations confirm that pressure and concentration have convergent effects on the water dynamics, due to the analogous modification of the short-range liquid structure that cancel some dynamical anomalies typical of pure water. Both local and collective dynamic observables point to structural properties as responsible for their peculiar pressure and concentration dependence.

High-pressure behavior of hexamethylenetetramine (urotropine) was studied in situ using angle-dispersive single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared absorption (FTIR) spectroscopy. Experiments were conducted in various pressure-transmitting media to study the effect of deviatoric stress on phase transformations. Up to 4 GPa significant damping of molecular librations and atomic thermal motion was observed. A first-order phase transition to a tetragonal structure was observed with an onset at approximately 12.5 GPa and characterized by sluggish kinetics and considerable hysteresis upon decompression. However, it occurs only in non-hydrostatic conditions, induced by deviatoric or uniaxial stress in the sample. This behavior finds analogies in similar cubic crystals built of highly symmetric cage-like molecules and may be considered a common feature of such systems. DFT computations were performed to model urotropine equation of state and pressure dependence of vibrational modes. The first successful Hirshfeld atom refinements carried out for high-pressure diffraction data are reported. The refinements yielded more realistic C-H bond lengths than the independent atom model even though the high-pressure diffraction data are incomplete.

High-pressure behavior of hexamthyleneteramine (urotropine) was studied in situ using angle-dispersive single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared absorption (FTIR) spectroscopy. Experiments were conducted in various pressure transmitting media (helium and neon for XRD, nitrogen and KBr for FTIR experiments) to study the effect of deviatoric stress on phase transformations. Contrary to As4O6 arsenolite, a material of similar cage-like molecular structure, no pressure-induced helium penetration into the crystal structure was observed. Instead, two pressure-induced structural changes are observed. The first one is suggested by the following occurrences: (i) gradual quenching of the magnitudes of atomic displacement parameters, (ii) diminishing libration contribution to the experimental C−N bond length, (iii) discontinuity in calculated IR-active vibrational modes and (iv) asymptotically vanishing discrepancy between the experimental and DFT‑calculated unit cell volume. All these features reach a plateau at ~4 GPa and can be attributed to a damping of molecular librations and atomic thermal motion, pointing to the existence of a second-order isostructural phase transition. The second transformation, with an onset at ~12.5 GPa is a first-order phase transition to a tetragonal structure, characterized by sluggish kinetics and considerable hysteresis upon decompression. However, it occurs only in non-hydrostatic conditions, induced by a deviatoric stress in the sample. This behavior finds analogies in similar cubic crystals built of highly symmetric cage-like molecules and may be considered a common feature of such systems. Last but not least, it is worth noting successful Hirshfeld atom refinements, carried out for the incomplete high-pressure diffraction data up to 14 GPa, yielded more realistic C−H bond lengths than the independent atom model.

High-pressure behavior of hexamthyleneteramine (urotropine) was studied in situ using angle-dispersive single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared absorption (FTIR) spectroscopy. Experiments were conducted in various pressure transmitting media (helium and neon for XRD, nitrogen and KBr for FTIR experiments) to study the effect of deviatoric stress on phase transformations. Contrary to As4O6 arsenolite, a material of similar cage-like molecular structure, no pressure-induced helium penetration into the crystal structure was observed. Instead, two pressure-induced structural changes are observed. The first one is suggested by the following occurrences: (i) gradual quenching of the magnitudes of atomic displacement parameters, (ii) diminishing libration contribution to the experimental C−N bond length, (iii) discontinuity in calculated IR-active vibrational modes and (iv) asymptotically vanishing discrepancy between the experimental and DFT‑calculated unit cell volume. All these features reach a plateau at ~4 GPa and can be attributed to a damping of molecular librations and atomic thermal motion, pointing to the existence of a second-order isostructural phase transition. The second transformation, with an onset at ~12.5 GPa is a first-order phase transition to a tetragonal structure, characterized by sluggish kinetics and considerable hysteresis upon decompression. However, it occurs only in non-hydrostatic conditions, induced by a deviatoric stress in the sample. This behavior finds analogies in similar cubic crystals built of highly symmetric cage-like molecules and may be considered a common feature of such systems. Last but not least, it is worth noting successful Hirshfeld atom refinements, carried out for the incomplete high-pressure diffraction data up to 14 GPa, yielded more realistic C−H bond lengths than the independent atom model.

High-pressure behavior of hexamthyleneteramine (urotropine) was studied in situ using angle-dispersive single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared absorption (FTIR) spectroscopy. Experiments were conducted in various pressure transmitting media (helium and neon for XRD, nitrogen and KBr for FTIR experiments) to study the effect of deviatoric stress on phase transformations. Contrary to As4O6 arsenolite, a material of similar cage-like molecular structure, no pressure-induced helium penetration into the crystal structure was observed. Instead, two pressure-induced structural changes are observed. The first one is suggested by the following occurrences: (i) gradual quenching of the magnitudes of atomic displacement parameters, (ii) diminishing libration contribution to the experimental C−N bond length, (iii) discontinuity in calculated IR-active vibrational modes and (iv) asymptotically vanishing discrepancy between the experimental and DFT‑calculated unit cell volume. All these features reach a plateau at ~4 GPa and can be attributed to a damping of molecular librations and atomic thermal motion, pointing to the existence of a second-order isostructural phase transition. The second transformation, with an onset at ~12.5 GPa is a first-order phase transition to a tetragonal structure, characterized by sluggish kinetics and considerable hysteresis upon decompression. However, it occurs only in non-hydrostatic conditions, induced by a deviatoric stress in the sample. This behavior finds analogies in similar cubic crystals built of highly symmetric cage-like molecules and may be considered a common feature of such systems. Last but not least, it is worth noting successful Hirshfeld atom refinements, carried out for the incomplete high-pressure diffraction data up to 14 GPa, yielded more realistic C−H bond lengths than the independent atom model.

The pressure-induced reactivity of aromatic molecules in the crystal phase has been recently demonstrated to be a practicable route for the synthesis of crystalline nanothreads. The formation of th...

Self-assembly of organic macrocycles has been exploited as a preliminary step in the synthesis of soluble and tailorable carbon-based nanostructures. Functionalized nanotubes have been prepared using, as core building blocks, nearly planar ring structures containing several alkyne units, exploiting the geometry achieved in the spontaneous preassembling step driven by π interaction. Covalent cross-linking between these units was achieved by thermal or photochemical activation with UV light. Here, we apply a moderate pressure in a sapphire anvil cell (1.0 GPa) to facilitate the preassembling and induce the cross-linking under pressure either with visible light, absorbed by two-photon absorption, or thermally. We observe a high yield of enhanced quality cross-linked nanotubes in a sample, showing, at ambient pressure, only side-chain decomposition. These results show that moderate pressures, easily achievable in large volume cells, are able to selectively favor topochemical reactions in such complex organic ...

The high-pressure chemical reactivity of nitromethane, under irradiation with visible and near-UV laser light, was investigated by in situ FTIR spectroscopy in a diamond anvil cell. The reactivity was probed at different pressures (0.2, 1.2, 5.0, 15.3, and 28.0 GPa) with different excitation wavelengths (514, 458, and 350 nm), with all absorbed through a two-photon process. Insight into the reaction mechanism was gained by measuring the near-UV absorption spectrum of nitromethane as a function of pressure to 32 GPa, the threshold pressure above which it reacts spontaneously in the absence of electronic excitation. We were thus able to determine the pressure evolution of the two lowest-energy transitions (σ → π* and a singlet–triplet transition). The information obtained from the absorption spectra together with the reactivity data allowed us to locate the red absorption edge of the higher-energy π → π* transition and its pressure shift. The excitation of the σ → π* transition was not able to induce any ph...

Optical materials: X 8, 100065 (2020). doi:10.1016/j.omx.2020.100065, Published by Elsevier, Amsterdam

Despite water being the most common and most widely studied substance in the world, it still presents unknown aspects. In particular, water shows several thermodynamic and dynamical anomalies in the liquid and supercooled metastable phases, and the natures of these phases are still hotly debated. Here, we report measurements of water using the optical Kerr effect as a function of pressure along two isotherms, at 273 K from 0.1 to 750 MPa and at 297 K from 0.1 to 1350 MPa, reaching the supercooled metastable phase. The structural relaxation and the low frequency vibrational dynamics of water show a peculiar pressure dependence similar to that of other dynamical properties. The data analysis suggests the presence in the water phase diagram of a crossover area that divides two regions characterized by different dynamic regimes, which appear to be related to two liquid forms, one dominated by the high density water and the other by the low density water.

Pressure-induced polymerization of aromatic compounds leads to novel materials containing sp3 carbon-bonded networks. The choice of the molecular species and the control of their arrangement in the crystal structures via intermolecular interactions, such as the arene–perfluoroarene interaction, can enable the design of target polymers. We have investigated the crystal structure compression and pressure-induced polymerization reaction kinetics of two polycyclic 1:1 arene–perfluoroarene cocrystals, naphthalene/octafluoronaphthalene (NOFN) and anthracene/octafluoronaphthalene (AOFN), up to 25 and 30 GPa, respectively, using single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and theoretical computations based on density-functional theory. Our study shows the remarkable pressure stability of the parallel arene–perfluoroarene π-stacking arrangement and a reduction of the interplanar π-stacking separations by ca. 19–22% before the critical reaction distance is reached. A further strong, discontinuous, and irreversible reduction along the stacking direction at 20 GPa in NOFN (18.8%) and 25 GPa in AOFN (8.7%) indicates the pressure-induced breakdown of π-stacking by formation of σ-bonded polymers. The association of the structural distortion with the occurrence of a chemical reaction is confirmed by a high-pressure kinetic study using infrared spectroscopy, indicating one-dimensional polymer growth. Structural predictions for the fully polymerized high-pressure phases consisting of highly ordered rods of hydrofluorocarbons are presented based on theoretical computations, which are in excellent agreement with the experimentally determined unit-cell parameters. We show that the polymerization takes place along the arene–perfluoroarene π-stacking direction and that the lateral extension of the columns depends on the extension of the arene and perfluoroarene molecules.

The n-paraphenylene family comprises chains of phenylene units linked together by C-C bonds that are between single- and double-bonded, and where n corresponds to the number of phenylene units. In this work, we compare the response of the optical properties of different phenylene arrangements. We study linear chains (LPP), cyclic systems (CPPs), and non-conjugated cyclic systems with two hydrogenated phenylenes (H4[n]CPP). Particularly, the systems of interest in this work are [6]LPP, [12]- and [6]CPP and H4[6]CPP. This work combines Raman and infrared spectroscopies with absorption and fluorescence (one- and two-photon excitations) measured as a function of pressure up to maximum of about 25 GPa. Unprecedented crystallographic pressure-dependent results are shown on H4[n]CPP, revealing intramolecular &pi, &pi, interactions upon compression. These intramolecular interactions justify the H4[n]CPP singular optical properties with increasing fluorescence lifetime as a function of pressure.

Light is an exceptional external stimulus for establishing precise control over the properties and functions of chemical and biological systems, which is enabled through the use of molecular photoswitches. Ideal photoswitches are operated with visible light only, show large separation of absorption bands and are functional in various solvents including water, posing an unmet challenge. Here we show a class of fully-visible-light-operated molecular photoswitches, Iminothioindoxyls (ITIs) that meet these requirements. ITIs show a band separation of over 100 nm, isomerize on picosecond time scale and thermally relax on millisecond time scale. Using a combination of advanced spectroscopic and computational techniques, we provide the rationale for the switching behavior of ITIs and the influence of structural modifications and environment, including aqueous solution, on their photochemical properties. This research paves the way for the development of improved photo-controlled systems for a wide variety of applications that require fast responsive functions., The design of photoswitches which operate in the visible light regime, show a large separation of absorption bands and are functional in various solvents is challenging. Here the authors report Iminothioindoxyls as visible-light operated photoswitches with a band separation of 100 nm.

Homogeneous melting of crystals is a complex multistep process involving the formation of transient states at temperatures considerably higher than the melting point. The nature and persistence of these metastable structures are intimately connected to the melting process, and a precise definition of the temporal boundaries of these phenomena is not yet available. We set up a specifically designed experiment to probe by transient infrared absorption spectroscopy the entire dynamics, ranging from tens of picoseconds to microseconds, of superheating and melting of an ice crystal. In spite of a large excess of energy provided, only about 30% of the micrometric crystal liquefies in the first 20-25 ns because of the long persistence of the superheated metastable phase that extends for more than 100 ns. This behavior is ascribed to the population of low-energy states that trap a large amount of energy, favoring the formation of a metastable, likely plastic, ice phase.

2,4,6-Tricyano-1,3,5-triazine is an attractive precursor for the synthesis of extended layered and nanoporous carbon nitrides. Using high pressure can achieve this via one-step condensation reactions. As a first step towards this goal we have characterized the structural properties and stability P-T range of the monomer (phase I) using synchrotron X-ray diffraction combined with FTIR spectroscopy under combined high pressure and high temperature conditions in a resistively heated diamond anvil cell. A new high pressure structure (phase II) appeared following compression to above 2.4 GPa at ambient temperature. The structure was identified as orthorhombic belonging to space group P2(1)2(1)2(1). The pressure-temperature conditions of the I-II phase boundary, as well as the melting line have been established. The chemical transformation of the phase II crystal was studied between 4 and 10 GPa at temperatures ranging from 550 to 300 K. X-ray and spectroscopic examination of the reaction products revealed a crystalline phase that could be assigned to a layered carbon nitride containing linked s-triazine rings along with amorphous material. Analysis of the kinetics indicates that the structural transformation is driven by defect formation.

The pressure-induced transformation of molecular crystals can give rise to new materials characterized by intriguing hardness or energetic properties. Mechanisms regulating these reactions at the molecular level result from a complex interplay among crystal structure, lattice dynamics, and electronic properties. Here, we show that the formation of a three-dimensional amorphous carbon nitride by compressing phase II s-triazine is controlled by the competition between two different mechanisms, one entirely structural and the other electronic, representing the first example where such occurrence is demonstrated. Temperature drives the reactivity below 8 GPa by ruling the lattice dynamics, whereas above 8 GPa the electronic modifications, uniquely governed by pressure, trigger the chemical transformation. The amorphous material synthesized has a bonding structure characterized by a bulk typical of a strongly conjugated three-dimensional carbon nitride with hydrogen atoms migrated to saturate C and N terminations.

Recently a new type of device, the MAPS-on-diamond, obtained bonding a thinned to 25 μm CMOS Monolithic Active Pixel Sensor to a standard 500 μm pCVD diamond substrate, has been proposed and fabricated, allowing a highly segmented readout (10×10 μm pixel size) of the signal produced in the diamond substrate. The bonding between the two materials has been obtained using a new laser technique to deliver the needed energy at the interface. A biasing scheme has been adopted to polarize the diamond substrate to allow the charge transport inside the diamond without disrupting the functionalities of the CMOS Monolithic Active Pixel Sensor. The main concept of this class of devices is the capability of the charges generated in the diamond by ionizing radiation to cross the silicon–diamond interface and to be collected by the MAPS photodiodes. In this work we demonstrate that such passage occurs and measure its overall efficiency. This study has been carried out first calibrating the CMOS MAPS with monochromatic X-rays, and then testing the device with charged particles (electrons) either with and without biasing the diamond substrate, to compare the amount of signal collected.

Pressure is an extraordinary tool to modify direction and strength of intermolecular interactions with important consequences on the chemical stability of molecular materials. The decrease of the distance among nearest neighbour molecules can give rise to reactive configurations reflecting the crystal arrangement and leading to association processes. In this context, the role of the H-bonds is very peculiar because their usual strengthening with rising pressure does not necessarily configure a decrease of the reaction activation energy but, on the contrary, can give rise to an anomalous stability of the system. In spite of this central role, the mechanisms by which a chemical reaction is favoured or prevented by H-bonding under high pressure conditions is a poorly explored field. Here we review a few studies where the chemical behaviour of simple molecular systems under static compression was related to the H-bonding evolution with pressure. These results are able to clarify a wealth of changes of the chemical and physical properties caused by the strengthening with pressure of the H-bonding network and provide additional tools to understand the mechanisms of high-pressure reactivity, a mandatory step to make these synthetic methods of potential interest for applicative purposes.

One-step synthesis using only physical tools is an appealing “green” method for the realization of technological materials. High-pressure conditions are particularly suitable in the attainment of extended supramolecular networks and in combination with high-temperature are effective in selecting specific reaction pathways to increase product quality. Here we show how pressures below 3 GPa and temperatures on the order of 420 K are effective for the synthesis, from urea crystal phase IV, of 2D graphitic carbon nitride oxide with enhanced crystalline quality. Angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform IR spectroscopy show that the reaction becomes less selective at higher pressure with the formation of melamine and ammonium carbamate as byproducts. An anomalous positive slope is shown by the P–T instability boundary, likely arising from unfavorable hydrogen bonding with respect to the topochemical path, making urea an interesting case study for gaining insight into the role of hydrogen bonding in solid-state reactivity.

The effect of pressure on the electronic properties of crystalline s-triazine has been studied up to 14 GPa by using two-photon induced fluorescence. Emission and excitation spectra have been measured as a function of pressure on samples compressed in a diamond anvil cell. The different two-photon absorption cross sections to the nπ* and ππ* excited states account for the selectivity in the excitation wavelength observed in the high pressure photoinduced reactivity. The comparison between excitation and emission spectra highlights a remarkable red shift with rising pressure of the higher electronic excited states having ππ* character, which contrasts with the pressure insensitivity of the lowest nπ* states. Pressure is therefore extremely efficient at progressively destabilizing the π bonding orbitals, causing a reduction of the ring aromaticity, and driving the high pressure reactivity.

The high-pressure transformation of s-triazine to an extended amorphous carbon incorporating a large amount of nitrogen has been studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The reaction, oc...

In this work we report preliminary tests aimed at the implementation of a Silicon-On-Diamond (SOD) radiation sensor. SOD materials have been prepared by continuously scanning a 20 ps pulsed 355 nm laser beam on the silicon–diamond interface. A pixel monolithic sensor has also been bonded to diamond with the same technique and tested to show that a complex electronic chip can undergo the process without any damage. Through silicon vias have been fabricated by laser drilling on the silicon side of the SOD samples and their insulation from the silicon bulk has been tested. The charge collection efficiency of a diamond sensor with laser-written graphitic contacts has been measured, to demonstrate a reliable and simple way to fabricate ohmic contacts on the diamond side of the SOD devices. Finally, a SOD material with electric contacts on the silicon and on the diamond sides has been tested as a particle sensor to demonstrate the electrical continuity of the silicon–diamond interface after the bonding.

Dissociation of ethanol by two-photon absorption of UVML laser emission centered at 350 nm was employed to trigger a chemical reaction at ambient temperature with red phosphorus for pressures ranging between 0.2 and 1.5 GPa. The reaction products, identified by infrared and Raman spectroscopy, indicate a quite selective reactivity ascribable to the two main dissociation channels involving the splitting of the O-H and C-O bonds of ethanol. The ethoxy radical, obtained through the splitting of the O-H bond, has been identified as the main responsible for the phosphorus reactivity, giving rise to triethylphosphate. The same dissociation channel is also responsible for the formation of a consistent amount of molecular hydrogen, phosphine, and diethyl ether, whereas ethane and ethylene, the latter observed only in traces, likely derive from the C-O dissociation. The reaction is accelerated by increasing pressure from 0.2 to 0.6 GPa but is not favored, as also observed in pure ethanol, by a further pressure increase. The reaction proceeds until ethanol is completely consumed, and further irradiation determines the decomposition of the products, especially of diethyl ether, leading to the formation of CO2, methane, and ethane.

Picene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon belonging to the class of phenacenes which have been recently found to behave as high-temperature superconductors upon alkali metal doping. The electronic properties of organic crystals can be finely and largely modified by the density changes obtained by the application of an external pressure. In this work, the role of pressure in tuning the optical properties of crystalline picene has been investigated from room conditions up to 15 GPa through the measurement of UV-visible absorption spectra, two-photon excitation profiles, and one- and two-photon excited fluorescence spectra in a diamond anvil cell. The pressure dependence of the optical band gap was determined, and the frequencies of several vibronic bands belonging to electronic transitions from the ground state (S-0) to the four lowest-energy excited singlet states (S-1 to S-4) were determined as a function of pressure. We evidence a very different density dependence of the transition energy of S-0 -> S-1, which undergoes a remarkable red shift of similar to 400 cm(-1)/GPa, and of the transitions from S-0 to the higher excited states, which remain constant in the whole investigated range. This is consistent with a S-1 state of L-1(a) character in solid picene. The high-pressure chemical stability of solid picene was investigated through visible absorption and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). A chemical transformation involving the bulk picene crystal occurs above similar to 23 GPa, giving rise to a disordered material similar to the amorphous hydrogenated carbon obtained in the pressure-induced reactivity of benzene. The combination of electronic and vibrational data allows us to identify the presence of reaction intermediates at similar to 10 GPa, preferentially forming at crystal defects.

Angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy have been employed to study the phase diagram of urea crystal beyond 15 GPa and at temperatures in excess of 400 K. Previously reported Bridgman phase II was structurally characterized for the first time, and it is discovered that it coincides with room-temperature phase IV. Large metastability P-T regions were identified for all phases in the sequence I-III-IV-V, ascribed to the difficulty to disrupt the H- bonding network, a prerequisite to accomplish the molecular rearrangement necessary for the structural transformation. High-temperature studies and use of a hydrostatic compression medium allows the thermodynamic boundaries of phase III, and partly of phase IV, to be identified therefore making a considerable step forward in the knowledge of the phase diagram of urea. (Graph Presented).

How does a crystal melt? How long does it take for melt nuclei to grow? The melting mechanisms have been addressed by several theoretical and experimental works, covering a subnanosecond time window with sample sizes of tens of nanometers and thus suitable to determine the onset of the process but unable to unveil the following dynamics. On the other hand, macroscopic observations of phase transitions, with millisecond or longer time resolution, account for processes occurring at surfaces and time limited by thermal contact with the environment. Here, we fill the gap between these two extremes, investigating the melting of ice in the entire mesoscopic regime. A bulk ice I-h or ice VI sample is homogeneously heated by a picosecond infrared pulse, which delivers all of the energy necessary for complete melting. The evolution of melt/ice interfaces thereafter is monitored by Mie scattering with nanosecond resolution, for all of the time needed for the sample to reequilibrate. The growth of the liquid domains, over distances of micrometers, takes hundreds of nanoseconds, a time orders of magnitude larger than expected from simple H-bond dynamics.

Two-photon excitation profiles and fluorescence spectra have been measured as a function of pressure in a diamond anvil cell up to 15.5 GPa in crystal phases I and II and in the glassy form of pyridine. The fluorescence emission intensity increases by about 6 orders of magnitude in going from the liquid to the crystalline phases at 3 GPa and further increases with pressure. This is explained by an energy inversion of the lowest (1)B(1) (nπ*) and (1)B(2) (ππ*) excited states likely due to the involvement of the lone pair of the N atom in intermolecular CH···N bonds. These interactions characterize the crystal phases and are stabilized by pressure. The glassy form, accordingly, is characterized by a much weaker fluorescence. Excimer emission is also observed. Comparison of the emission of several samples with different compression and annealing histories, the lack of reversibility in the excimer emission with decompression, and the larger relative intensity of the excimer band in the glassy form suggest that excimer formation occurs at crystal defects. This results support the conclusions of a previous investigation proposing that pressure-induced reactivity of pyridine is limited to crystal defects and agrees with the present knowledge of the solid-state chemistry of aromatic crystals.

Clarifying the structure/dynamics relation of water hydrogen-bond network has been the aim of extensive research over many decades. By joining anvil cell high-pressure technology, femtosecond 2D infrared spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations, we studied, for the first time, the spectral diffusion of the stretching frequency of an HOD impurity in liquid water as a function of pressure. Our experimental and simulation results concordantly demonstrate that the rate of spectral diffusion is almost insensitive to the applied pressure. This behavior is in contrast with the previously reported pressure-induced speed up of the orientational dynamics, which can be rationalized in terms of large angular jumps involving sudden switching between two hydrogen-bonded configurations. The different trend of the spectral diffusion can be, instead, inferred considering that the first solvation shell preserves the tetrahedral structure with pressure and the OD stretching frequency is only slight perturbed.

Pressure is extremely efficient to tune intermolecular interactions, allowing the study of the mechanisms regulating, at the molecular level, the structure and dynamics of condensed phases. Among the simplest molecules, water represents in many respects a mystery despite its primary role in ruling most of the biological, physical, and chemical processes occurring in nature. Here we report a careful characterization of the dynamic regime change associated with low-density and high-density forms of liquid water by measuring the line shape of the OD stretching mode of HOD in liquid water along different isotherms as a function of pressure. Remarkably, the high-pressure studies have been here extended down to 240 K, well inside the supercooled regime. Supported by molecular dynamics simulations, a correlation among amorphous and crystalline solids and the two different liquid water forms is attempted to provide a unified picture of the metastable and thermodynamic regimes of water.

Liquid water has a primary role in ruling life on Earth in a wide temperature and pressure range as well as a plethora of chemical, physical, geological, and environmental processes. Nevertheless, a full understanding of its dynamical and structural properties is still lacking. Water molecules are associated through hydrogen bonds, with the resulting extended network characterized by a local tetrahedral arrangement. Two different local structures of the liquid, called low-density (LDW) and high-density (HDW) water, have been identified to potentially affect many different chemical, biological, and physical processes. By combining diamond anvil cell technology, ultrafast pump-probe infrared spectroscopy, and classical molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the liquid structure and orientational dynamics are intimately connected, identifying the P-T range of the LDW and HDW regimes. The latter are defined in terms of the speeding up of the orientational dynamics, caused by the increasing probability of breaking and reforming the hydrogen bonds.

An optical parametric generator and amplifier producing 15 ps pulses at wavelengths tunable around 2 μm, with energies up to 15 mJ/pulse, has been realized and characterized. The output wavelength is chosen to match a vibrational combination band of water. By measuring the induced birefringence changes we prove that a single pulse is able to completely melt samples of ice in the 10⁻⁶ cm³ volume range, both at room pressure (263 K) and at high pressure (298 K, 1 GPa) in a sapphire anvil cell. This source opens the possibility of studying melting and freezing processes by spectroscopic probes in water or water solutions in a wide range of conditions as found in natural environments.

Applied static pressure can largely modify the structure and dynamics of molecular systems, with consequences on their optical properties and chemical stability. When photochemical effects are exploited in conjunction with the structural and dynamical conditions attained at high density, chemical reactivity may become highly selective and efficient, yielding technologically attractive products. Non-linear optical spectroscopies are a powerful tool to investigate molecular energetics and dynamics, and thus unveil key aspects of the chemical reactivity at a molecular level. Their application to high-pressure samples is experimentally challenging, mainly because of the small sample dimensions and the non-linear effects generated in the anvil materials. In this paper we review the main results on the behavior of electronic states at high pressure, obtained by non-linear optical techniques, discussing the relationship between pressure-induced structural modifications and chemical reactivity, and the state of the art of ongoing research.

The optical properties of picene at ambient conditions have been investigated through the measurement of UV/Vis absorption and fluorescence spectra and of excitation profiles, using one-and two-photon excitation, in solution and in the crystal phase. For solvated picene an assignment of the vibronic structure of the transitions to the four lowest-energy excited singlet states (S-1-S-4) has been obtained from the absorption data, and the vibronic structure of the fluorescence spectra has been assigned. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of the solid phase can be interpreted according to the single molecule analysis. Nevertheless, the strong increase of the optical density in the spectral region of the lowest HOMO-LUMO transitions and the frequency shift of absorption and fluorescence bands may be explained by a mixing of the states of adjacent molecules in the crystal. Moreover, peculiar emission features depending on the crystal dimensions (10(-1) to 10(2) mu m) are observed. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4770265]