Scientists have synthesized cubic gauche nitrogen (cg-N) at atmospheric pressure, confirming its stability up to 760 K. This development offers a practical approach to producing cg-N, with potential implications for high-energy-density materials.
A research team led by Prof. Xianlong Wang from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has successfully synthesized cubic gauche nitrogen (cg-N), a high-energy-density material, at atmospheric pressure. This achievement was made possible by treating potassium azide (KN3) through the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) technique.
The research results were published in Science Advances.
Cg-N is a pure nitrogen material consisting of nitrogen atoms bonded by N-N single bonds, resembling the structure of diamond. It has attracted attention because it has a high-energy-density and produces only nitrogen gas when it decomposes. The development of efficient and safe synthesis method under atmospheric pressure is an important issue.
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