High pressure X-ray diffraction study of copper hydride at room temperature

Abstract High pressure X-ray studies on CuH up to 23 GPa have been performed at room temperature using a gasketed diamond anvil cell. The experimental data on the molar volume of CuH as a function of pressure have been fitted to Murnaghan's equation of state giving a bulk modulus: B0 = 72.5±2 GPa and B0 = 2.7 ± 0.3. By comparison with the equation of state for pure copper the effective additive volume of hydrogen has been evaluated as a function of pressure. It decreases from 3.2 cm3/mol H, at ambient pressure reaching a flattening value of 1.7cm3hol H at about 60 GPa. This suggests a continuous transition of CuH from ionic or covalent character at normal pressure to metallic hydride behavior at high pressure