High-pressure synthesis of a new copper hydride from elements

摘要

The paper presents a high-pressure X-ray diffraction investigations of copper subjected to high hydrogen pressure in a diamond anvil cell. Twenty years from the last high-pressure synthesis of a metal hydride (AuH), another hydride has been created under pressure from the elements. The formation of a new phase of copper hydride has been observed at pressure higher than 14.4 GPa. Thi s copper hydride retains the fcc crystal structure of copper. The process of formation of the hydride phase is accompanied by a 7.5% increase of volume of the copper sample. The decomposition of cubic copper hydride takes place at pressures of around 12.5 GPa. The conditions of synthesis of the hydride in copper-hydrogen system, determined in these studies, are in good agreement with the values predicted on the basis of semi-theoretical models.