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Title: Solid-State Polymerization of Acetylene under Pressure: {ital Ab Initio} Simulation

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
;  [1];  [2]; ; ;  [3];  [4]
  1. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Festkoerperforschung, Heisenbergstr.1, D-70569 Stuttgart (Germany)
  2. Istituto Nazionale Fisica della Materia and Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano (Italy)
  3. Istituto Nazionale Fisica della Materia and International School for Advanced Studies, Via Beirut 4, I-34014 Trieste (Italy)
  4. International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), P.O.Box 586, I-34014 Trieste (Italy)

We have simulated by {ital ab initio} constant pressure molecular dynamics the solid-state polymerization of acetylene recently observed experimentally in the pressure range 3.5{endash}14 GPa. We have found a massive polymerization only at much higher pressure (25 GPa). However, we have also found that a triplet exciton self-trapped on a single, {ital cis}-bent molecule in crystalline acetylene is a very effective polymerization seed at lower pressure ({lt}9GPa), much closer to the experimental threshold. Therefore, we propose that the polymerization observed experimentally is possibly catalyzed by a similar seed. We predict that injection of triplet excitons would greatly enhance the polymerization rate. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

OSTI ID:
512720
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 78, Issue 10; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1997
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English