BADDELEYITE-TYPE HIGH-PRESSURE PHASE OF TIO2

A high-pressure phase of TiO2, which had been observed by shock-wave experiments and remained unresolved, has been studied by in situ x-ray diffraction. The single phase was formed at 20 gigapascals and 770-degrees-C with the use of sintered-diamond multianvils; it has the same structure as baddeleyite, the stable phase of ZrO2 at ambient conditions. The coordination number of Ti increases from six to seven across the rutile to baddeleyite transition, and the volume is reduced by approximately 9 percent.