Synthesis of rare-earth metal compounds through enhanced reactivity of alkali halides at high pressures

Chemical stability of the alkali halides NaCl and KCl has allowed for their use as inert media in high-pressure high-temperature experiments. Here we demonstrate the unexpected reactivity of the halides with metals (Y, Dy, and Re) and iron oxide (FeO) in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell, thus providing a synthetic route for halogen-containing binary and ternary compounds. So far unknown chlorides, Y(2)Cl and DyCl, and chloride carbides, Y(2)ClC and Dy(2)ClC, were synthesized at ~40 GPa and 2000 K and their structures were solved and refined using in situ single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction. Also, FeCl(2) with the HP-PdF(2)-type structure, previously reported at 108 GPa, was synthesized at ~160 GPa and 2100 K. The results of our ab initio calculations fully support experimental findings and reveal the electronic structure and chemical bonding in these compounds.