Synthesis of rare-earth metal compounds through enhanced reactivity of alkali halides at high pressures

Abstract

The chemical stability of alkali halides has caused them to be exploited as inert media in high-pressure, high-temperature experiments. Here, NaCl and KCl are unexpectedly found to react with yttrium, dysprosium and iron oxide in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell, producing Y2Cl, DyCl, Y2ClC and Dy2ClC at ~40 GPa and 2000 K and FeCl2 at ~160 GPa and 2100 K.