High-pressure synthesis of indium polynitride with structurally diverse polynitrogen frameworks
Phys. Rev. B 114, 254107 – Published 12 November, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/yv2f-9kxp
Abstract
Polymeric nitrogen frameworks are of interest for high-energy-density materials because their conversion to molecular is associated with substantial energy release, while their experimental synthesis remains challenging. Here we combine particle-swarm structure prediction, first-principles calculations, and laser-heated diamond-anvil-cell experiments to investigate the phase stability and bonding of the In-N system under pressure. Two pressure-stabilized polymorphs were obtained experimentally, with in situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy supporting their assignment to tetragonal at 55 GPa and orthorhombic Ama2 at 80 GPa. The phase contains isolated pentazolate rings, whereas the Ama2 structure contains an extended chain-ladder nitrogen framework involving -based motifs. Electronic-structure and bonding analyses indicate substantial charge transfer from indium to the nitrogen sublattice, with the dominant bonding contributions arising from covalent N-N interactions. The calculated energetic metrics show that Ama2 has a higher volumetric energy density than the other predicted In-N phases, associated with its higher packing density and extended nitrogen connectivity. The results establish two pressure-stabilized polymorphs with distinct ring-based and chain-ladder polynitrogen frameworks and clarify the role of indium in stabilizing different nitrogen connectivities under pressure.