Pressure-induced structural transformation of CaC2.

The high pressure structural changes of calcium carbide CaC2 have been investigated with Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature. At ambient conditions, two forms of CaC2 co-exist. Above 4.9 GPa, monoclinic CaC2-ii diminished indicating the structural phase transition from CaC2-ii to CaC2-i. At about 7.0 GPa, both XRD patterns and Raman spectra confirmed that CaC2-i transforms into a metallic Cmcm structure which contains polymeric carbon chains. Along with the phase transition, the isolated C2 dumbbells are polymerized into zigzag chains resulting in a large volume collapse with 22.4%. Above 30.0 GPa, the XRD patterns of CaC2 become featureless and remain featureless upon decompression, suggesting an irreversible amorphization of CaC2.