Events

Abstract: 

Clathrates constitute a rich structural family of compounds comprised of a cage framework which can host guest atoms, rendering them versatile platforms for a wide range of research. Clathrates range high T_c hydride superconductors to group 14 cages with a variety of guest atoms. Clathrates host interesting properties such as strong thermoelectric effects owing to the electron-crystal phonon-glass like behavior of these systems, and the topic of this talk, superconductivity.
Recently, the first boron stabilized carbon clathrates have been synthesized at high-pressure and high temperature conditions using laser heating in diamond anvil cells¹. Apart from being interesting from a chemistry point of view, they have interesting mechanical properties due to the sp³ bonding nature of the carbon bearing cages, and several of these have been predicted to be superconducting with high transition temperatures^2,3,4.
In this talk we will discuss the synthesis and superconducting properties of the newly discovered boron-carbon clathrates and strategies to enhance the transition temperature towards beating the ambient pressure transition temperature for conventional superconductors, presently held by MgB₂⁵.

[1]: Strobel, T. et al. (2021). Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 60 (6), 2877-2881. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202012821
[2]: Chen, W, J. Appl. Phys. 114, 173906 (2013) https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4829458
[3]: Zhu et al., Sci. Adv. 2020; 6 : eaay8361
[4]: Li Zhu et al. (2021) https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1708.03483
[5] : Nagamatsu, J, et al., Nature 410, 63–64 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35065039

The organizing committee.