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High Pressure: Transformative Effects and Applications
Introduction to High Pressure in Science and Technology
High pressure is a fundamental thermodynamic variable that significantly alters the properties of materials. The advent of advanced high-pressure techniques, such as megabar diamond anvil cells, has revolutionized our ability to explore and manipulate materials under extreme conditions. This has opened up new avenues in condensed-matter physics, chemistry, and materials science, leading to the discovery of novel materials and phenomena .
High Pressure and Material Properties
Alteration of Elastic, Electronic, and Magnetic Properties
Under high pressure, materials exhibit drastic changes in their elastic, electronic, and magnetic properties. These changes can push materials across conventional boundaries, transforming insulators into superconductors and amorphous solids into crystalline structures. For instance, high pressure has enabled the discovery of metallic hydrogen and record-breaking superconducting temperatures in hydrogen sulfide (HnS).
Creation of Exotic Materials
High pressure reduces interatomic distances, profoundly modifying electronic orbitals and bonding patterns. This has led to the synthesis of exotic materials, such as nanotwinned cubic boron nitride and diamond, which are among the hardest known materials. These materials exhibit excellent performance in various applications, including superconductors and high-energy-density materials.
High Pressure in Chemistry
Novel Chemical Compounds and Species
High pressure can activate core electrons and unoccupied orbitals, leading to the formation of new compounds with atypical compositions. These compounds often feature unusual chemical species, such as dimers, trimers, and polymeric chains. This has resulted in a new understanding of chemistry, where high pressure stabilizes homonuclear bonds and activates non-valence orbitals.
Advances in High-Pressure Experimental Chemistry
Recent technological advancements have integrated synchrotron nanotechnology with high-pressure experiments, allowing for the study of minute samples at ultrahigh pressures. This has enhanced our understanding of electronic, phonon, and doping effects in materials like graphene and other 2D layered materials. High pressure has also created exotic stoichiometry in common compounds, altering basic bonding patterns in organic compounds.
Industrial and Technological Applications
Synthesis of Superhard Materials
High-pressure synthesis is used industrially to produce synthetic diamonds and cubic boron nitride, which are essential for cutting and shaping hard metals and ceramics. High-pressure conditions have also extended superconducting behavior to a broader range of elements and compounds, including rare gases and ionic compounds.
Food Preservation and Biotechnology
High pressure processing is an innovative food preservation technique that offers an alternative to thermal treatment. It reduces the need for food additives and salt, improves digestibility, and reduces allergenicity by altering protein structures. This technique is gaining industrial traction for producing healthier food products . Additionally, high pressure is used in biotechnology for applications such as protein disaggregation, viral vaccine preparation, and modulation of food functionality.
Conclusion
High pressure is a powerful tool that has transformed our understanding and manipulation of materials, leading to groundbreaking discoveries in physics, chemistry, and materials science. Its applications extend from industrial synthesis of superhard materials to innovative food preservation techniques and biotechnological advancements. As high-pressure research continues to evolve, it promises to unlock even more extraordinary phenomena and materials with unprecedented properties.
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