Probing the high-pressure densification of amorphous silica nanomaterials using SBA-15: An investigation into the paradoxical nature of the first sharp diffraction peak

Michael R. Bull; Rachel C. Huber; Ping Yu; Tanner J. Finney; Noah Felvey; Paul Chow; Yuming Xiao; Tonya L. Kuhl; Erik B. Watkins

doi:10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2025.123448

Probing the high-pressure densification of amorphous silica nanomaterials using SBA-15: An investigation into the paradoxical nature of the first sharp diffraction peak

Michael R. Bull, Rachel C. Huber, Ping Yu, Tanner J. Finney, Noah Felvey, Paul Chow, Yuming Xiao, Tonya L. Kuhl, Erik B. Watkins

Reflectometry

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The densification and X-ray scattering of mesoporous silica (SBA-15) were measured simultaneously under gigapascal (GPa) pressures. The results are compared to previous work on amorphous silica (aSiO₂) and demonstrate the feasibility of measuring the densification of aSiO₂ nanomaterials with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) in-situ in a diamond anvil cell. Compared to fused silica, the position of the SBA-15 first sharp diffraction peak (FSDP) is 7 times more sensitive to pressure and has a transition in its pressure dependance at a lower pressure (∼2 GPa vs. ∼13 GPa). SBA-15 has two densification regimes, low-density amorphous and high-density amorphous, which have equations of state comparable to low-density amorphous and high-density amorphous fused silica. The transition between these two regimes occurs at a lower pressure than for fused silica (∼1.5 GPa vs. ∼13 GPa). The results suggest that there is no direct relationship between the FSDP position and the aSiO₂ density during compression.

Original language	English
Article number	123448
Journal	Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids
Volume	656
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2025.123448
State	Published - May 15 2025

Funding

The authors would like to thank Professor Sabyasachi Sen for helpful discussions and introductions. This work was supported by the UC Lab Fees Fellowship from University of California Research Initiatives (Contract No LGF-20–652903); and by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by Triad National Security, LLC, for the National Nuclear Security Administration of U.S. Department of Energy (Contract No 89233218CNA000001). Portions of this work were performed at HPCAT (Sector 16), Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory. HPCAT operations are supported by DOE-NNSA's Office of Experimental Sciences. The Advanced Photon Source is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under Contract No DE-AC02–06CH11357. This work was supported by the UC Lab Fees Fellowship from University of California Research Initiatives (Contract No. LGF-20-652903); and by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by Triad National Security, LLC, for the National Nuclear Security Administration of U.S. Department of Energy (Contract No. 89233218CNA000001). Portions of this work were performed at HPCAT (Sector 16), Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory. HPCAT operations are supported by DOE-NNSA's Office of Experimental Sciences. The Advanced Photon Source is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357.

Keywords

Amorphous silica
Diamond anvil cell
Equation of State
First sharp diffraction peak
Mesoporous silica
Small Angle X-ray Scattering

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10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2025.123448

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Bull, M. R., Huber, R. C., Yu, P., Finney, T. J., Felvey, N., Chow, P., Xiao, Y., Kuhl, T. L., & Watkins, E. B. (2025). Probing the high-pressure densification of amorphous silica nanomaterials using SBA-15: An investigation into the paradoxical nature of the first sharp diffraction peak. Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 656, Article 123448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2025.123448

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title = "Probing the high-pressure densification of amorphous silica nanomaterials using SBA-15: An investigation into the paradoxical nature of the first sharp diffraction peak",

abstract = "The densification and X-ray scattering of mesoporous silica (SBA-15) were measured simultaneously under gigapascal (GPa) pressures. The results are compared to previous work on amorphous silica (aSiO2) and demonstrate the feasibility of measuring the densification of aSiO2 nanomaterials with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) in-situ in a diamond anvil cell. Compared to fused silica, the position of the SBA-15 first sharp diffraction peak (FSDP) is 7 times more sensitive to pressure and has a transition in its pressure dependance at a lower pressure (∼2 GPa vs. ∼13 GPa). SBA-15 has two densification regimes, low-density amorphous and high-density amorphous, which have equations of state comparable to low-density amorphous and high-density amorphous fused silica. The transition between these two regimes occurs at a lower pressure than for fused silica (∼1.5 GPa vs. ∼13 GPa). The results suggest that there is no direct relationship between the FSDP position and the aSiO2 density during compression.",

keywords = "Amorphous silica, Diamond anvil cell, Equation of State, First sharp diffraction peak, Mesoporous silica, Small Angle X-ray Scattering",

author = "Bull, \{Michael R.\} and Huber, \{Rachel C.\} and Ping Yu and Finney, \{Tanner J.\} and Noah Felvey and Paul Chow and Yuming Xiao and Kuhl, \{Tonya L.\} and Watkins, \{Erik B.\}",

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doi = "10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2025.123448",

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Bull, MR, Huber, RC, Yu, P, Finney, TJ, Felvey, N, Chow, P, Xiao, Y, Kuhl, TL & Watkins, EB 2025, 'Probing the high-pressure densification of amorphous silica nanomaterials using SBA-15: An investigation into the paradoxical nature of the first sharp diffraction peak', Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, vol. 656, 123448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2025.123448

TY - JOUR

T1 - Probing the high-pressure densification of amorphous silica nanomaterials using SBA-15

T2 - An investigation into the paradoxical nature of the first sharp diffraction peak

AU - Bull, Michael R.

AU - Huber, Rachel C.

AU - Yu, Ping

AU - Finney, Tanner J.

AU - Felvey, Noah

AU - Chow, Paul

AU - Xiao, Yuming

AU - Kuhl, Tonya L.

AU - Watkins, Erik B.

PY - 2025/5/15

Y1 - 2025/5/15

N2 - The densification and X-ray scattering of mesoporous silica (SBA-15) were measured simultaneously under gigapascal (GPa) pressures. The results are compared to previous work on amorphous silica (aSiO2) and demonstrate the feasibility of measuring the densification of aSiO2 nanomaterials with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) in-situ in a diamond anvil cell. Compared to fused silica, the position of the SBA-15 first sharp diffraction peak (FSDP) is 7 times more sensitive to pressure and has a transition in its pressure dependance at a lower pressure (∼2 GPa vs. ∼13 GPa). SBA-15 has two densification regimes, low-density amorphous and high-density amorphous, which have equations of state comparable to low-density amorphous and high-density amorphous fused silica. The transition between these two regimes occurs at a lower pressure than for fused silica (∼1.5 GPa vs. ∼13 GPa). The results suggest that there is no direct relationship between the FSDP position and the aSiO2 density during compression.

AB - The densification and X-ray scattering of mesoporous silica (SBA-15) were measured simultaneously under gigapascal (GPa) pressures. The results are compared to previous work on amorphous silica (aSiO2) and demonstrate the feasibility of measuring the densification of aSiO2 nanomaterials with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) in-situ in a diamond anvil cell. Compared to fused silica, the position of the SBA-15 first sharp diffraction peak (FSDP) is 7 times more sensitive to pressure and has a transition in its pressure dependance at a lower pressure (∼2 GPa vs. ∼13 GPa). SBA-15 has two densification regimes, low-density amorphous and high-density amorphous, which have equations of state comparable to low-density amorphous and high-density amorphous fused silica. The transition between these two regimes occurs at a lower pressure than for fused silica (∼1.5 GPa vs. ∼13 GPa). The results suggest that there is no direct relationship between the FSDP position and the aSiO2 density during compression.

KW - Amorphous silica

KW - Diamond anvil cell

KW - Equation of State

KW - First sharp diffraction peak

KW - Mesoporous silica

KW - Small Angle X-ray Scattering

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VL - 656

JO - Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids

JF - Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids

M1 - 123448

ER -

Probing the high-pressure densification of amorphous silica nanomaterials using SBA-15: An investigation into the paradoxical nature of the first sharp diffraction peak

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