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High-Pressure Synthesis, Amorphization, and Decomposition of Silane

Publication is a careful and diligent study of the high-pressure low-temperature phase diagram of silane. We find that at high pressure silane transforms through a series of molecular solid phases, before amorphizing and partially decomposing. At 90 GPa, silane recrystallizes into 2 polymeric solid phases. Work is important in disproving previous claim that silane exhibits properties at high pressure reminiscent of metallic hydrogen and also as an interesting and unusual case of pressure-induced amorphization. JEP received MoD funding to study pressure-induced amorphization in boron carbide body armour partially on strength of expertise demonstrated by this work.