Phase transitions at high pressure in tetracyanoethylene

We report in situ x-ray diffraction studies in tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) at high pressure using diamond anvil cell (DAC) at Elettra synchrotron source, Trieste, Italy. Experiments were performed with both the polymorphic phases (monoclinic and cubic) of TCNE as the starting phase. While starting with monoclinic (the high temperature stable) TCNE, it was found that the Bragg peaks get broadened with increase of pressure and above 5 GPa only few broad peaks remained to be observed. On release of pressure from 6.4 GPa, when the sample started turning black, the diffraction pattern at ambient pressure corresponds to cubic, the other crystalline phase of TCNE. Results reconfirm the monoclinic to cubic transition at high pressure but via an intermediate ‘disordered’ phase. This settles a number of conflicting issues. TCNE represents only system, which undergoes transition from one crystalline to another crystalline phase via a ‘disordered’ metastable phase at high pressure. When the starting phase was cubic (the low temperature stable) no apparent phase transition was observed up to 10.8 GPa.