Abstract
Nanothreads are one-dimensional sp3 hydrocarbons that pack within pseudohexagonal crystalline lattices. They are believed to lack long-range order along the thread axis and also lack interthread registry. Here we investigate the phase behavior of thiophene up to 35 GPa and establish a pressure-induced phase transition sequence that mirrors previous observations in lowerature studies. Slow compression to 35 GPa results in the formation of a recoverable saturated product with a 2D monoclinic diffraction pattern along (0001) that agrees closely with atomistic simulations for single crystals of thiophene-derived nanothreads. Paradoxically, this lower-symmetry packing signals a higher degree of structural order since it must arise from constituents with a consistent azimuthal orientation about their shared axis. The simplicity of thiophene reaction pathways (with only four carbon atoms per ring) apparently yields the first nanothreads with orientational order, a striking outcome considering that a single point defect in a 1D system can disrupt long-range structural order.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 7164-7171 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 22 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 21 2019 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General Materials Science
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry