{{more references needed|date=May 2024}} '''Amorphous carbonia''', also called '''a-carbonia''' or '''a-CO<sub>2</sub>''', is an exotic [[amorphous]] solid form of [[carbon dioxide]] that is analogous to amorphous [[silica glass]]. It was first made in the laboratory in 2006 by subjecting [[dry ice]] to high pressures (40-48 [[gigapascal]], or 400,000 to 480,000 [[atmosphere]]s), in a [[diamond anvil cell]].<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=Philosophy Of Mathematics|last=Francis|first=J.|date=2008|publisher=Global Vision Publishing House|isbn=9788182202672|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6UGGgTXUJCEC|page=198|accessdate=11 December 2014}}</ref> Amorphous carbonia is not stable at ordinary pressures—it quickly reverts to normal CO<sub>2</sub>.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9339-carbon-dioxide-glass-created-in-the-lab.html|title=Carbon dioxide glass created in the lab|date=15 June 2006|work=www.newscientisttech.com|access-date=31 October 2009}}</ref>
While normally carbon dioxide forms [[molecular crystal]]s, where individual molecules are bound by [[Van der Waals force]]s, in amorphous carbonia a [[covalent bond|covalently bound]] three-dimensional network of atoms is formed, in a structure analogous to [[silicon dioxide]] or [[germanium dioxide]] glass.
Mixtures of a-carbonia and a-[[silica]] may be a prospective very hard and stiff glass material stable at room temperature. Such glass may serve as [[protective coating]]s, e.g. in [[microelectronics]].
The discovery has implications for [[astrophysics]], as interiors of [[gas giant|massive planets]] may contain amorphous solid carbon dioxide.
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
==References== * {{cite journal|author=Paul F. McMillan|title=Solid-state chemistry: A glass of carbon dioxide|journal=[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]|volume=441|issue=7095|pages=823|doi=10.1038/441823a|date=2006|pmid=16778880|bibcode=2006Natur.441..823M|s2cid=11948698|doi-access=free}} * {{cite journal|author=Mario Santoro|author2=Federico A. Gorelli|author3=Roberto Bini|author4=Giancarlo Ruocco|author5=Sandro Scandolo|author6=Wilson A. Crichton|title=Amorphous silica-like carbon dioxide|journal = [[Nature (journal)|Nature]]|volume=441|pages=857–60|date=2006|type=letter|doi=10.1038/nature04879|pmid=16778885|issue=7095|bibcode=2006Natur.441..857S|s2cid=4363092}}
==External links== * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5083222.stm Dry ice creates toughened glass] * [http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/10/6/7/1 Physicsweb: Dry ice forms ultrahard glass]
[[Category:Carbon dioxide]] [[Category:Amorphous solids]] [[Category:Physical chemistry]] [[Category:Astrophysics]] [[Category:Glass compositions]]
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