A Novel Method for Generating Molecular Mixtures at Extreme Conditions: The Case of Fluorine and Oxygen

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

1-1-2017

Publication Title

AIP Conference Proceedings

Publisher

American Institute of Physics Inc.

Volume

1793

Abstract

We have successfully created a segregated mixture of molecular fluorine and oxygen at high pressure in a diamond anvil cell (DAC) via useful hard x-ray photochemistry. A keyhole-like sample chamber was created in a stainless steel gasket to hold two segregated powders of potassium tetrafluoroborate (KBF4) and potassium perchlorate (KClO4) respectively in each hole at a pressure of ∼3.0 GPa. Both holes were individually irradiated with synchrotron hard x-rays to release molecular fluorine and molecular oxygen, respectively. Upon irradiation of the hole containing KBF4 molecular fluorine appeared (as evidenced via Raman spectroscopy) near the region of irradiation. The second hole containing KClO4 was then irradiated and reddish-orange O2 was observed to form. Oxygen was observed to diffuse throughout both holes. There is some evidence that oxygen difluoride (OF2) was formed in the hole originally containing the KBF4.

Language

english

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