The high pressure structures, metallization, and superconductivity of recently synthesized H2-containing compounds (H2S)2H2 are elucidated by ab initio calculations. The ordered crystal structure with P1 symmetry is determined, supported by the good agreement between theoretical and experimental X-ray diffraction data, equation of states, and Raman spectra. The Cccm structure is favorable with partial hydrogen bond symmetrization above 37 GPa. Upon further compression, H2 molecules disappear and two intriguing metallic structures with R3m and Im-3m symmetries are reconstructive above 111 and 180 GPa, respectively. The predicted metallization pressure is 111 GPa, which is approximately one-third of the currently suggested metallization pressure of bulk molecular hydrogen. Application of the Allen-Dynes-modified McMillan equation for the Im-3m structure yields high Tc values of 191 K to 204 K at 200 GPa, which is among the highest values reported for H2-rich van der Waals compounds and MH3 type hydride thus far.

Solid hydrogen sulfide is well known as a typical molecular crystal but its stability under pressure is still under debate. Particularly, Eremets et al. found the high pressure superconductivity with $T_{c}\approx$ 190 K in a H$_{2}$S sample [arXiv: 1412.0460 (2014)] which is associates with the elemental decomposition into H$_{3}$S [Sci. Rep. 4, 6968 (2014)]. Therefore, on what pressure H$_{2}$S can decompose and which kind of the products of decomposition urgent need to be solved. In this paper, we have performed an extensive structural study on different stoichiometries H$_{n}$S with ${n> 1}$ under high pressure using $ab$ $initio$ calculations. Our results show that H$_{2}$S is stable below 50 GPa and decomposes into H$_3$S and sulfur at high pressure, while H$_{3}$S is stable at least up to 300 GPa. The other hydrogen-rich H$_{4}$S, H$_{5}$S, and H$_{6}$S are unstable in the pressure range from 20 to 300 GPa

The high-pressure structural evolutionary behaviors of magnesium polynitrides were studied up to 100 GPa using first-principles calculations. Using the unbiased structure searching method, five stable chemical stoichiometries of magnesium polynitrides (MgN, MgN, MgN, MgN, and MgN) were theoretically predicted at high pressures. The predicted MgN compounds contain a rich variety of polynitrogen forms ranging from charged molecules (one-dimensional bent molecules N, planar triangle N to benzene-like rings N) to extended polymeric chains (N). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that stable bent molecules N, planar triangle N, and polymeric chains (N) were predicted in alkaline-earth metal polynitrides. The decomposition of P1[combining macron]-MgN and P1[combining macron]-MgN are expected to be highly exothermic, releasing an energy of approximately 2.83 kJ g and 2.01 kJ g, respectively. Furthermore, P1[combining macron]-MgN can be synthesized at several GPa. The results of the present study suggest that it is possible to obtain energetic polynitrogen in main-group nitrides under high pressure.

The stable polymeric nitrogen and polynitrogen compounds have potential applications in high-energy-density materials. For beryllium nitrides, there is one known crystalline form, Be 3 N 2 , at ambient conditions. In the present study, the structural evolutionary behaviors of beryllium polynitrdes have been studied up to 100 GPa using first-principles calculations and unbiased structure searching method combined with density functional calculations. One stable structural stoichiometry of beyrllium polynitride has been theoretically predicted at high pressures. It may be experimentally synthesizable at high pressures less than 40 GPa. It is therefore possible to synthesize BeN 4 by compressing solid Be 3 N 2 and N 2 gas under high pressure and BeN 4 may be quenching recoverable to ambient conditions. The predicted high-pressure P2 1 /c-BeN 4 compound contains a novel variety of polynitrogen, extended polymeric 3D puckered N 10 rings network. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that stable N 10 rings network are predicted in alkaline-earth metal polynitrides. The decomposition of P2 1 /c-BeN 4 is expected to be highly exothermic, releasing an energy of approximately 6.35 kJ•g −1 . The present results open a new avenue to synthesize polynitrogen compound and provide a key perspective toward the understanding of novel chemical bonding in nitrogen-rich compounds. Results of the present study suggest that it is possible to obtain energetic polynitrogens in main-group nitrides under high pressure.

Based on an ab initio evolutionary algorithm, a novel carbon polymorph with an orthorhombic Cmcm symmetry is predicted, named as C carbon, which has the lowest enthalpy among the previously proposed cold-compressed graphite phases.

Pressure‐induced electronic structure transition from insulating phase to metal state is a potential new paradigm for halide perovskites. The metallization based on these materials may afford a novel motif toward realizing new electronic properties even superconductivity phenomenon. Herein, how static compression modulates the crystal and electronic structure of typical perovskite semiconductors cesium lead iodine (CsPbI 3 ) by both experimental and theoretical studies is reported. The comprehensive studies discover the insulator–metal transition of CsPbI 3 at 39.3 GPa, and reveal the key information behind the electronic transition. The perovskite's precise structural evolution is tracked upon compression, from orthorhombic Pnma phase to monoclinic C2/m structure before the metallic transition. More interestingly, the C2/m phase has the most distorted octahedra and the shortest Pb–I bond length relative to the average bond length that is ever reported in a halide perovskite structure. The electronic transition stems from the structural changes accompanied by the anomalously self‐distorted octahedra. These studies show that pressure can significantly alter the structural and electronic properties of these technologically important perovskites.

In this paper, we suggest a novel potential superhard material, a new carbon nitride phase consisted of sp(3) hybridized bonds, possessing a cubic P2(1)3 symmetry (8 atoms/cell, labeled by cg-CN) which is similar to cubic gauche nitrogen (cg-N) by first-principles calculations. It is a metallic compound, while most of other superhard materials are insulators or semiconductors. The Vickers hardness of cg-CN is 82.56 GPa, and if we considered the negative effect of metallic component on hardness, it is 54.7 GPa, which is much harder than any other metallic materials. It is found that a three-dimensional C-N network is mainly responsible for the high hardness. Both elastic constant and phonon-dispersion calculations show that this structure remains mechanically and dynamically stable in the pressure ranges from 0 to 100 GPa. Furthermore, we compared our results with many other proposed structures of carbon nitride with 1:1 stoichiometry and found that only cg-CN is the most favorable stable crystal structure. Formation enthalpies calculations demonstrate that this material can be synthesizable at high pressure (12.7-36.4 GPa).

The search for the stable single-bonded (polymeric) solid nitrogen attracted much attention in view of its potential application as a high energy density material. In this study, the stability of different candidate polymeric structures of nitrogen has been studied using ab initio calculations based on density-functional theory for the first time, from the angles of thermodynamic stabilities, mechanical stabilities, and dynamical stabilities in the pressure range from 0 to 360 GPa, respectively. According to our results, only Cmcm, A7, rcg, cg, BP, P2(1)2(1)2(1), and Pba2 are competitive structures and more favorable than sc, ch, LB, and cw strcutrues; their stable pressure range were also presented. Among the competitive structures, BP, Pba2, and P2(1)2(1)2(1) are the novel ones for their enthalpies are lower than the cg structure above 170 GPa. We further identify that the P2(1)2(1)2(1) phase can transform to cg structure at pressure below 60 GPa. Also a new phase transition sequence with increasing pressure has been presented, which is from the molecular phase epsilon-N(2) to cg at 47 GPa, to Pba2 at 170 GPa, and then to P2(1)2(1)2(1) at 307 GPa.