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Layered transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have recently attracted intense scientific and engineering interest because of their unique semiconducting and opto-electronic properties. We investigated the pressure-induced structural phase transition of layered semiconductor molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) using Raman spectroscopy and studied its metallization using infrared (IR) spectroscopy under both non-hydrostatic and quasi-hydrostatic conditions. Under quasi-hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic conditions, we found that the structural phase transition from 2 Hc stacking to 2 Ha stacking starts at approximately 16 and 21 GPa, respectively, and finishes at ∼35 and ∼41 GPa, respectively. Furthermore, the structural phase transition was followed by a semiconductor-to-metal (S-M) electronic transition. The pressure point of metallization under quasi-hydrostatic conditions is ∼5 GPa lower than that under non-hydrostatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: High pressure behaviors of nanoporous anatase TiO2 were studied using in situ Raman spectroscopy up to 37GPa. The nanoporous anatase phase starts to transform into the baddeleyite phase with poor crystallinity at ∼15.2GPa, and the baddeleyite phase coexists with anatase phase up to 18.4GPa. The baddeleyite form transforms into an amorphous phase above 20.5GPa. Upon decompression, the amorphous phase recovers to the baddeleyite phase and then transforms to the α-PbO2 phase. The phase transition from the baddeleyite phase to the amorphous form is reversible. The poor crystalline baddeleyite phase acts as an intermediate state in the amorphization process. The phase transitions of the nanoporous anatase TiO2 are obviously different from the pressure-induced amorphization in the anatase TiO2 nanoparticles. These results indicate that the porous microstructure plays important roles in the high pressure phase transitions of the nanoporous anatase TiO2. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Exploring the behavior of nanocrystals with varying shapes and sizes under high pressure is crucial to understanding the relationship between the morphology and properties of nanomaterials. In this study, we investigated the compression behaviors of WS2 nanotubes (NT-WS2) and fullerene-like nanoparticles (IF-WS2) by in situ high-pressure X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. It was found that the bulk modulus of NT-WS2 is 81.7 GPa, which is approximately twice as large as that of IF-WS2 (46.3 GPa). This might be attributed to the fact that IF-WS2 with larger d-spacing along the c-axis and higher defect density are more compressible under isotropic pressure than NT-WS2. Thus, the slender NT-WS2 possess a more stable crystal structure than the IF-WS2. Our findings reveal that the effects of morphology and size play crucial roles in determining the high-pressure properties of WS2 nanoparticles, and provide significant insight into the relationship between structure and properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-pressure Raman measurements on single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been carried out in a diamond anvil cell by using two wavelength lasers: 830 and 514.5 nm. Irrespective of using a pressure transmitting medium (PTM) or not, we found that nanotubes undergo similar transformations under pressure. The pressure-induced changes in Raman signals at around 2 and 5 GPa are attributed to the nanotube cross-section transitions from circle to ellipse and then to a flattened shape, respectively. Especially with pressure increasing up to 15-17 GPa, we observed that the third transition takes place in both the Raman wavenumber and the linewidth of G-band. We propose explanations that the interlinked configuration with sp3 bonds forms in the bundles of SWNTs under pressure, which was the cause for the occurrence of those Raman anomalies, similar to the structural-phase transition of graphite above 14 GPa. Our TEM observations and Raman measurements on the decompressed samples support this transition picture. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an experimental study of a new hybrid material where nitrogen is encapsulated in the channels of porous zeolite AlPO4-5 (AFI) single crystals by a high-pressure method. The high-pressure behavior of nitrogen confined inside the AFI nano-channels is then investigated by Raman spectroscopy up to 44 GPa. Under pressure, the Raman modes of confined nitrogen show behaviors different from those of the bulk nitrogen. After the return to atmospheric pressure, it is demonstrated that non-gaseous nitrogen can be effectively stabilized by being confined inside the intact AFI sample. This result provides new insight into nitrogen capture and storage technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] High pressure study of graphene nanoplates is carried out by Raman spectroscopy. [•] The transition pressure for graphene nanoplates is found to be lower than that for graphite. [•] The reasons for the reduction of transition pressure for graphene nanoplates are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: C60 nanotubes have been synthesized by a solution–solution method. After degassing in a dynamic vacuum, the C60 nanotubes doped with alkali metals by means of vapor evaporation method. Different temperatures have been studied to evaporate the alkali metals for the doping experiments. Raman spectrum was further employed to analyze the doping concentration of the obtained samples. It was found that all three alkali metals (Li, Na and K) used can be efficiently doped into the C60 nanotubes, forming A x C60 nanotubes. The doping concentration of Li, Na changed from low to high level, depending on the experiment temperatures, while K doping always gave saturated doping. The melt points, the ionic sizes and vapor pressures of alkali metals were thought to affect the final doping results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]