Photothermal-chemical synthesis of P–S–H ternary hydride at high pressures

Abstract

The recent discovery of room temperature superconductivity (283 K) in carbonaceous sulfur hydride (C–S–H) has attracted much interest in ternary hydrogen rich materials. In this report, ternary hydride P–S–H was synthesized through a photothermal-chemical reaction from elemental sulfur (S), phosphorus (P) and molecular hydrogen (H2) at high pressures and room temperature. Raman spectroscopy under pressure shows that H2S and PH3 compounds are synthesized after laser heating at 0.9 GPa, and a ternary van der Waals compound P–S–H is synthesized with further compression to 4.6 GPa. The P–S–H compound is probably a mixed alloy of PH3 and (H2S)2H2 with a guest–host structure similar to the C–S–H system. The ternary hydride can persist up to 35.6 GPa at least and shows two phase transitions at approximately 23.6 GPa and 32.8 GPa, respectively.