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X-ray–Induced Dissociation of H2O and Formation of an O2–H2 Alloy at High Pressure

Wendy L. Mao,1 Ho-kwang Mao,2,3 Yue Meng,3 Peter J. Eng,4 Michael Y. Hu,3 Paul Chow,3 Yong Q. Cai,5 Jinfu Shu,2 Russell J. Hemley2

1 Los Alamos Neutron Science Center, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA.
2 Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015, USA.
3 High Pressure Collaborative Access Team, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
4 Consortium for Advanced Radiation Sources, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
5 National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu 30076, Taiwan.

Science 27 October 2006: Vol. 314. no. 5799, pp. 636 - 638
DOI: 10.1126/science.1132884,  Full Text (PDF)

When subjected to high pressure and extensive x-radiation, water (H2O) molecules cleaved, forming O–O and H–H bonds. The oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H) framework in ice VII was converted into a molecular alloy of O2 and H2. X-ray diffraction, x-ray Raman scattering, and optical Raman spectroscopy demonstrated that this crystalline solid differs from previously known phases. It remained stable with respect to variations in pressure, temperature, and further x-ray and laser exposure, thus opening new possibilities for studying molecular interactions in the hydrogen-oxygen binary system.

Figure 2

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Updated on Dec. 3, 2006, by Haozhe Liu