In the periodic table of elements there is one golden rule for carbon, oxygen and other light elements: Under high pressures, they have similar structures to heavier elements in the same group of elements. But nitrogen always seemed unwilling to toe the line. However, high-pressure chemistry researchers of the University of Bayreuth have disproved this special status. Out of nitrogen, they created a crystalline structure which, under normal conditions, occurs in black phosphorus and arsenic. The structure contains two-dimensional atomic layers, and is therefore of great interest for high-tech electronics. The scientists have presented this "black nitrogen" in Physical Review Letters.
[...] Elements with similar properties are placed one below the other in the same column, and thus form a group of elements. [...] In earlier high-pressure experiments, nitrogen showed no structures similar to those exhibited under normal conditions by the heavier elements of this group—specifically, phosphorus, arsenic and antimony. Instead, such similarities are observed at high pressures in the neighboring groups headed by carbon and oxygen.
In fact, nitrogen is no exception to the rule. [...] At very high pressures and temperatures, nitrogen atoms form a crystalline structure that is characteristic of black phosphorus, which is a particular variant of phosphorus. The structure also occurs in arsenic and antimony. It is composed of two-dimensional layers in which nitrogen atoms are cross-linked in a uniform zigzag pattern.
[...] It took truly extreme conditions to produce black nitrogen. The compression pressure was 1.4 million times the pressure of the Earth's atmosphere, and the temperature exceeded 4,000 degrees
More information: Dominique Laniel et al, High-Pressure Polymeric Nitrogen Allotrope with the Black Phosphorus Structure, Physical Review Letters (2020). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.216001
(Score: 4, Interesting) by takyon on Thursday June 04 2020, @01:28AM (9 children)
High-temp, high-pressure electronics.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by NickM on Thursday June 04 2020, @02:09AM (4 children)
I a master of typographic, grammatical and miscellaneous errors !
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday June 04 2020, @03:13PM (3 children)
Hey, I know how this movie goes. "The Core" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298814/ [imdb.com]
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday June 04 2020, @04:30PM (2 children)
That was one of the worst movies I ever saw.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday June 04 2020, @05:15PM (1 child)
Was it due to the unbelievable plot or just the unobtanium.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday June 04 2020, @09:25PM
The unobtainium is but one element of the unbelievable plot. So I would have to pick unbelievable plot.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 04 2020, @02:49AM (3 children)
Perfect for making electronics that would feel right at home on the surface of Venus.
Nothing is useless.
(Score: 4, Informative) by deimtee on Thursday June 04 2020, @03:51AM (2 children)
Bit of a difference between 840psi and 19,600,000psi. Also between 500C and 4000C. The gain from being on Venus' surface would be a rounding error in the conditions needed to produce this stuff.
If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
(Score: 2) by Mykl on Thursday June 04 2020, @05:03AM (1 child)
I think that's the point. Given the heat and pressure to create this stuff is so much higher than what's present on Venus, any electronics made out of it should be able to survive Venus' atmosphere quite comfortably. Gear that's made with material that melts at 180C to 190C [wikipedia.org]? Not so much.
(Score: 2) by loonycyborg on Thursday June 04 2020, @08:37AM
According to the article at low pressure conditions(which includes Venus too in this case) this "black nitrogen" will just dissolve. Potential use for electronics bit was about black phosphor.