Corresponding States for Volumes of Elemental Solids at Their Pressures of Polymorphic Transformations

Many non-molecular elemental solids exhibit common features in their structures over the range of 0 to 0.5 TPa that have been correlated with equivalent valence electron configurations. Here, it is shown that the pressures and volumes at polymorphic transitions obey corresponding states given by a s...

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Main Author: Oliver Tschauner
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-11-01
Series:Crystals
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/12/12/1698
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author Oliver Tschauner
author_facet Oliver Tschauner
author_sort Oliver Tschauner
collection DOAJ
description Many non-molecular elemental solids exhibit common features in their structures over the range of 0 to 0.5 TPa that have been correlated with equivalent valence electron configurations. Here, it is shown that the pressures and volumes at polymorphic transitions obey corresponding states given by a single, empirical universal step-function V<sub>tr</sub>/L = −0.0208(3) · P<sub>tr</sub> + N<sub>i</sub>, where V<sub>tr</sub> is the atomic volume in Å<sup>3</sup> at a given transformation pressure P<sub>tr</sub> in GPa, and L is the principal quantum number. N<sub>i</sub> assumes discrete values of approximately 20, 30, 40, etc. times the cube of the Bohr radius, thus separating all 113 examined polymorphic elements into five discrete sets. The separation into these sets is not along L. Instead, strongly contractive polymorphic transformations of a given elemental solid involve changes to different sets. The rule of corresponding states allows for predicting atomic volumes of elemental polymorphs of hitherto unknown structures and the transitions from molecular into non-molecular phases such as for hydrogen. Though not an equation of state, this relation establishes a basic principle ruling over a vast range of simple and complex solid structures that confirms that effective single-electron-based calculations are good approximations for these materials and pressures The relation between transformation pressures and volumes paves the way to a quantitative assessment of the state of very dense matter intermediate between the terrestrial pressure regime and stellar matter.
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spelling doaj.art-a94045664899495c9a15d14ca48751f32023-11-24T14:09:25ZengMDPI AGCrystals2073-43522022-11-011212169810.3390/cryst12121698Corresponding States for Volumes of Elemental Solids at Their Pressures of Polymorphic TransformationsOliver Tschauner0Department of Geoscience, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USAMany non-molecular elemental solids exhibit common features in their structures over the range of 0 to 0.5 TPa that have been correlated with equivalent valence electron configurations. Here, it is shown that the pressures and volumes at polymorphic transitions obey corresponding states given by a single, empirical universal step-function V<sub>tr</sub>/L = −0.0208(3) · P<sub>tr</sub> + N<sub>i</sub>, where V<sub>tr</sub> is the atomic volume in Å<sup>3</sup> at a given transformation pressure P<sub>tr</sub> in GPa, and L is the principal quantum number. N<sub>i</sub> assumes discrete values of approximately 20, 30, 40, etc. times the cube of the Bohr radius, thus separating all 113 examined polymorphic elements into five discrete sets. The separation into these sets is not along L. Instead, strongly contractive polymorphic transformations of a given elemental solid involve changes to different sets. The rule of corresponding states allows for predicting atomic volumes of elemental polymorphs of hitherto unknown structures and the transitions from molecular into non-molecular phases such as for hydrogen. Though not an equation of state, this relation establishes a basic principle ruling over a vast range of simple and complex solid structures that confirms that effective single-electron-based calculations are good approximations for these materials and pressures The relation between transformation pressures and volumes paves the way to a quantitative assessment of the state of very dense matter intermediate between the terrestrial pressure regime and stellar matter.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/12/12/1698corresponding stateshigh pressureWigner–Seitz radiielemental solidsphase transformation
spellingShingle Oliver Tschauner
Corresponding States for Volumes of Elemental Solids at Their Pressures of Polymorphic Transformations
Crystals
corresponding states
high pressure
Wigner–Seitz radii
elemental solids
phase transformation
title Corresponding States for Volumes of Elemental Solids at Their Pressures of Polymorphic Transformations
title_full Corresponding States for Volumes of Elemental Solids at Their Pressures of Polymorphic Transformations
title_fullStr Corresponding States for Volumes of Elemental Solids at Their Pressures of Polymorphic Transformations
title_full_unstemmed Corresponding States for Volumes of Elemental Solids at Their Pressures of Polymorphic Transformations
title_short Corresponding States for Volumes of Elemental Solids at Their Pressures of Polymorphic Transformations
title_sort corresponding states for volumes of elemental solids at their pressures of polymorphic transformations
topic corresponding states
high pressure
Wigner–Seitz radii
elemental solids
phase transformation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/12/12/1698
work_keys_str_mv AT olivertschauner correspondingstatesforvolumesofelementalsolidsattheirpressuresofpolymorphictransformations