About SPP1236
Summary of the program
Recent developments in the field of laser-heated diamond anvil cell research, in the use of multi-anvil devices and in parameter free quantum mechanical model calculations have opened up new opportunities to synthesize, characterize and understand properties of high density materials present in the Earth’s mantle and of inorganic compounds crystallizing in previously unknown structure types.
Based on these methods, projects within the SPP will address the question: ‘Which novel phases can be synthesized at extreme HP/HT conditions, what are their physical properties (including stabilities) and how can an understanding of structure-property relations be exploited to extend our knowledge on the crystal chemistry, crystal growth, geophysical relevance or the possibility of ‘rational design’ of such new materials ?’
The specific projects in the SPP will help to answer fundamental questions in the Earth Sciences, Material Sciences and Solid State Chemistry which could not have been investigated previously. Projects within the SPP will investigate how to obtain hard and superhard materials, how to systematically understand the crystal chemistry of dense phases, and how structure-property relations change at extremely HP/HT. Providing answers to these questions is of fundamental importance in a variety of research fields. For example, the planned investigations concerning the stability of carbonates will complement the available knowledge on the global CO2-budget, while investigations on mantle minerals provide knowledge necessary for the evaluation of seismic data.
Central to the proposal will be studies based on in situ experiments performed at very high
pressures and temperatures (typically > 10 GPa, > 1000 K) in either laser heated diamond
anvil cells or multi-anvil devices, and complementary quantum mechanical model
calculations. The focus of the SPP is on the study of compounds relevant to the Earth
Sciences, Material Science, or Solid State Chemistry, and hence will include oxides, silicates,
carbonates, carbides, nitrides and related materials. Investigations of elemental metals and
molecular compounds will not be funded. Technical developments are not seen as being
central, but it is recognized that they will be required in the fields of laser heating and growth
of larger samples. Emphasis will be placed on interdisciplinary projects, which rely on more
than one methodology and are integrated with complementary theoretical investigations.
Therefore, this SPP will bring together scientists from several disciplines to achieve a better
understanding of properties of materials under extreme PT conditions. This will help the
German high pressure community to further play a leading role in high pressure research.
A central laser-heating facility will be established in Frankfurt, which will be open to all participants.
