Kryptoxide Discovered, Kryptonite On Its Way - Superman’s Fear About To Get Real
Is Superman real? Although the answer to this question might be in the negative, his weak point-Kryptonite may well be on the verge of being discovered. Scientists from the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the Polish Academy of Sciences (IPS PAS) have adjusted parameters to finally activate the inert element- Krypton to produce Krypton compounds, more specifically Krypton oxides. KrO, the first binary compound of Krypton and Oxygen was obtained at a very high pressure, and is not found normally in nature.
The infamous green Kryptonite crystal was supposed to be harmful to Superman and his krypton natives. From the latest discovery, scientists were able to synthesize a stable Krypton mono oxide, similar to the Krypton-nitrogen compound, Kryptonite. Dr. Patrick Zaleski-Ejgierd (IPC PAS) explained that although Krypton compounds were produced before in cryogenic conditions, the structure was of a linear single chain of hydrogen-krypton-carbon-carbon-hydrogen (H-Kr-C=C-H) type and failed to come up with a stable crystal lattice.
The team recently achieved ultra-high pressure in the lab using diamond-anvil cell (DAC) technique which sports a pressure range of 10-500 GPa, ideal for Krypton to assemble as a hexagonal close-packed structure. The team borrowed help from genetic algorithm and density functional theory to explore the chemical structure of the compound. The building block of the crystal lattice, the unit cell of krypton monoxide consists of a cuboid diamond with Krypton molecules at a corner. Single atoms of oxygen are positioned between the krypton atoms, but only having diagonal arrangement.
When experimenting, another Krypton-Oxygen compound was discovered named krypton tetroxide, KrO4. All of these newly discovered compounds rely heavily on the exotic characteristics of high pressure molecular chemistry which unveils several unknown aspects. The whole research was published in the Nature journal.
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The infamous green Kryptonite crystal was supposed to be harmful to Superman and his krypton natives. From the latest discovery, scientists were able to synthesize a stable Krypton mono oxide, similar to the Krypton-nitrogen compound, Kryptonite. Dr. Patrick Zaleski-Ejgierd (IPC PAS) explained that although Krypton compounds were produced before in cryogenic conditions, the structure was of a linear single chain of hydrogen-krypton-carbon-carbon-hydrogen (H-Kr-C=C-H) type and failed to come up with a stable crystal lattice.
The team recently achieved ultra-high pressure in the lab using diamond-anvil cell (DAC) technique which sports a pressure range of 10-500 GPa, ideal for Krypton to assemble as a hexagonal close-packed structure. The team borrowed help from genetic algorithm and density functional theory to explore the chemical structure of the compound. The building block of the crystal lattice, the unit cell of krypton monoxide consists of a cuboid diamond with Krypton molecules at a corner. Single atoms of oxygen are positioned between the krypton atoms, but only having diagonal arrangement.
When experimenting, another Krypton-Oxygen compound was discovered named krypton tetroxide, KrO4. All of these newly discovered compounds rely heavily on the exotic characteristics of high pressure molecular chemistry which unveils several unknown aspects. The whole research was published in the Nature journal.
Source: #-Link-Snipped-#
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