Polynitrides of Alkaline Earth Metals at high pressure

Recently there has been an increased interest in the high pressure community in the synthesis and study of High Energy Density Materials (HEDM) since the synthesis of singly-bonded cubic-gauge Nitrogen. Barium dinitride (BaN2) has been shown to be synthesized [Vajenine et al., 2001, Inorg. Chem.] at moderate pressures (0.3GPa) and high temperatures (920K) with a predicted double bonded nitrogen network [Wessel et al., 2010, J. Am. Chem. Soc] and has further been predicted to have several stable stoichiometric compounds with a significantly higher nitrogen content [Huang et al., 2018, Am. Chem. Soc], up to BaN10. Several of these computed compounds contain singly bonded or exotic nitrogen networks which are recoverable to atmospheric pressures. The Barium-Nitrogen system will be explored via high pressure up to >100GPa along with laser heating through a series of diamond anvil cell experiments to realize and characterize these exotic polyntiride compounds.