Editor's Summary
15 June 2006
A new form of CO2
High pressure modifies the interatomic and intermolecular interactions in condensed matter, profoundly altering the physical and chemical properties of materials. This is dramatically demonstrated in a newly discovered form of carbon dioxide, dubbed a-carbonia. This nonmolecular amorphous carbon dioxide is a high pressure modification of the CO2 molecular solid. It is a glassy material, homologous to amorphous silica (SiO2) and germania (GeO2). The discovery could initiate new research areas in the solid-state chemistry of light elements.
News and Views: Solid-state chemistry: A glass of carbon dioxide
Carbon is unusual in its family of elements because it has gaseous oxides. But under high pressure, carbon dioxide forms crystalline solids and can become a glass — so revealing the chemical family resemblance.
Paul F. McMillan
doi:10.1038/441823a
Letter: Amorphous silica-like carbon dioxide
Mario Santoro, Federico A. Gorelli, Roberto Bini, Giancarlo Ruocco, Sandro Scandolo and Wilson A. Crichton
doi:10.1038/nature04879
First paragraph | Full Text | PDF (433K) | Supplementary information
