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Pushing boundaries: High pressure, supercritical optical floating zone materials discovery

An invited perspective highlighting research in the high pressure domain at PARADIM was recently published in the Journal of Solid State Chemistry as part of a 50th anniversary special edition.

PARADIM major achievements include stabilizing the first dynamic fluid pressure 300 bar and first 150 bar traveling solvent molten zone (top figure). Fluid pressures are a much unexplored frontier that will continue to yield new discoveries.

Fluid Pressure Stabilization
Fluid Pressure Stabilization
Fluid Pressure Interactions

Misconceptions about fluid pressure interactions with samples were addressed. Increased pressures do not always yield a reduction in sample vaporization as commonly assumed. This is due to the enhanced solvation properties of the fluid at higher pressures.

There is still much to be understood about materials synthesis at fluid pressures pioneered by PARADIM (e.g., oscillations between lamellar and turbulent flow). Being able to model these behaviors will allow for control of these effects, which will lead to accelerated materials discovery.

Raw data from the project was made available in accordance with PARADIM’s data vision. 

Graph showing sample vaporization rate versus fluid pressure

 

Reference: 

W.A. Phelan et al., J. Solid State Chem. 270 (2019) 705–799

Research Highlight