Disproportionation reaction of LaH at high pressure and low temperature

Machida, Akihiko; Watanuki, Tetsu; Kawana, Daichi*; Aoki, Katsutoshi

We found that LaH decomposed into two different molar-volume phases at 11 GPa at room temperature through synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction (SR-XRD) measurements. Observed decomposition suggests that the H-poor and H-rich phases are spontaneously formed by pressurization, namely, a pressure-induced disproportionation reaction. Observed disproportionation reaction accompanies the transfer of the H atoms between the interstitial sites. Diffusivity of the H atoms suppresses as the temperature decreases. Hence we have investigated this disproportionation of LaH in the low H diffusivity case at low temperature.SR-XRD measurements at high pressure and low temperature were carried out at BL22XU, SPring-8. We found the disproportionation at 13.5 GPa even at 200 K. The volume fraction of the H-poor phase at 200 K is larger than that at room temperature. The disproportionation at low temperature will be discussed on the basis of the X-ray diffraction data.