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Structural Description of Pressure-Induced Amorphization in ZrW{sub 2}O{sub 8}

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
;  [1]; ;  [2];  [3]; ;  [4]
  1. ISIS Facility, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon OX11 0QX (United Kingdom)
  2. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ (United Kingdom)
  3. Department of Chemistry, University Science Laboratories, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom)
  4. ESRF, BP220, F-38043 Grenoble Cedex (France)

ZrW{sub 2}O{sub 8} undergoes a high-pressure amorphization transition above 1.5 GPa to a phase which is recoverable to ambient conditions. Reverse Monte Carlo modeling of neutron and x-ray total scattering data from ZrW{sub 2}O{sub 8} recovered from {approx}4 GPa shows that the large increase in density on pressurizing ZrW{sub 2}O{sub 8} is accommodated within the structure by increased bonding between the WO{sub 4} tetrahedra. This increases the tungsten coordination; changes to the ZrO{sub 6} octahedral environment are not required. This densified crystal-based model, which contains significant local disorder within a distorted periodic structure, is also in reasonable agreement with x-ray and neutron total scattering data measured in situ at high pressure.

OSTI ID:
20951452
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 22 Vol. 98; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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