Exploring High-Pressure Transformations in Low-Z (H-2, Ne) Hydrates at Low Temperatures

The high pressure structural behavior of H-2 and Ne clathrate hydrates with approximate composition H-2/Ne center dot~4H(2)O and featuring cubic structure II (CS-II) was investigated by neutron powder diffraction using the deuterated analogues at ~95 K. CS-II hydrogen hydrate transforms gradually to isocompositional C-1 phase (filled ice II) at around 1.1 GPa but may be metastably retained up to 2.2 GPa. Above 3 GPa a gradual decomposition into C-2 phase (H-2 center dot H2O, filled ice I-c) and ice VIII' takes place. Upon heating to 200 K the CS-II to C-1 transition completes instantly whereas C-1 decomposition appears sluggish also at 200 K. C-1 was observed metastably up to 8 GPa. At 95 K C-1 and C-2 hydrogen hydrate can be retained below 1 GPa and yield ice II and ice I-c, respectively, upon complete release of pressure. In contrast, CS-II neon hydrate undergoes pressure-induced amorphization at 1.9 GPa, thus following the general trend for noble gas clathrate hydrates. Upon heating to 200 K amorphous Ne hydrate crystallizes as a mixture of previously unreported C-2 hydrate and ice VIII'.