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Title: High-Energy Density and Superhard Nitrogen-Rich B-N Compounds

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]
  1. Jiangsu Normal Univ. (China); Univ. of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK (Canada)
  2. Jiangsu Normal Univ. (China)
  3. Univ. of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK (Canada); Carnegie Inst. of Washington, Washington, DC (United States)
  4. Univ. of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK (Canada)
  5. Univ. of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK (Canada); Jilin Univ., Changchun (China)

The pressure-induced transformation of diatomic nitrogen into nonmolecular polymeric phases may produce potentially useful high-energy-density materials. Here, we combine first-principles calculations with structure searching to predict a new class of nitrogen-rich boron nitrides with a stoichiometry of B 3 N 5 that are stable or metastable relative to solid N 2 and h -BN at ambient pressure. The most stable phase at ambient pressure has a layered structure ( h - B 3 N 5 ) containing hexagonal B 3 N 3 layers sandwiched with intercalated freely rotating N 2 molecules. At 15 GPa, a three-dimensional C 2 2 2 1 structure with single N-N bonds becomes the most stable. This pressure is much lower than that required for triple-to-single bond transformation in pure solid nitrogen (110 GPa). More importantly, C 2 2 2 1 - B 3 N 5 is metastable, and can be recovered under ambient conditions. Its energy density of ~ 3.44 kJ / g makes it a possible high-energy-density material. In addition, stress-strain calculations estimate a Vicker’s hardness of ~ 4 4 GPa . Structure searching reveals a new clathrate sodalitelike BN structure that is metastable under ambient conditions.

Research Organization:
Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Energy Frontier Research in Extreme Environments (EFree)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0001057; NA-00006; SC-0001057
OSTI ID:
1371036
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1213943
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 115, Issue 10; Related Information: EFree partners with Carnegie Institution of Washington (lead); California Institute of Technology; Colorado School of Mines; Cornell University; Lehigh University; Pennsylvania State University; ISSN 0031-9007
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 132 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (12)

Route to high-energy density polymeric nitrogen t-N via He−N compounds journal February 2018
Pressure-induced metallization and superconducting phase in ReS 2 journal March 2017
Alkaline-earth metal (Mg) polynitrides at high pressure as possible high-energy materials journal January 2017
Highly insensitive and thermostable energetic coordination nanomaterials based on functionalized graphene oxides journal January 2016
Structural phase transition and bonding properties of high-pressure polymeric CaN 3 journal January 2018
Metallic and anti-metallic properties of strongly covalently bonded energetic AlN 5 nitrides journal January 2019
Theoretical investigation of the valence states in Au via the Au–F compounds under high pressure journal January 2019
Prediction of pressure-induced phase transformations in Mg 3 As 2 journal January 2019
High-pressure formation of antimony nitrides: a first-principles study journal January 2020
Prediction of superhard B 2 N 3 with two-dimensional metallicity journal January 2019
First-principles studies of superhard BC 8 N structures journal May 2019
Computational discovery of hard and superhard materials journal July 2019

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