High-Pressure Study of Mn(BH4)2 Reveals a Stable Polymorph with High Hydrogen Density

High-pressure behavior of alpha-Mn(BH4)(2) was studied up to 29.4 GPa in diamond anvil cells using powder Xray diffraction combined with DFT calculations and Raman spectroscopy, and two new polymorphs were discovered. The first polymorph, delta-Mn(BH4)(2), forms near 1 GPa and is isostructural to the magnesium analogue delta-Mg(BH4)(2). This polymorph is stable upon decompression to ambient conditions and can also be obtained by compression of alpha-Mn(BH4)(2) in a large-volume steel press as well as by high-energy ball milling. It shows a high volumetric density of hydrogen of 125 g H-2/L at ambient conditions. delta-Mn(BH4)(2) was refined in the space group I4(1)/acd with the cell parameters a = 7.85245(6), c = 12.1456(2) angstrom, and V = 748.91(1) angstrom(3) at ambient conditions; it can also be described in a stable P-4n2 superstructure. Its thermal stability was studied by in situ X-ray powder diffraction and thermal analysis coupled with mass-spectroscopy. delta-Mn(BH4)(2) transforms back to alpha-Mn(BH4)(2) upon heating in the temperature range of 67-109 degrees C in Ar (1 bar) or H-2 (100 bar) atmosphere, and a decomposition is initiated at 130 degrees C with the release of hydrogen and some diborane. Mn(BH4)(2) undergoes a second phase transition to delta'-Mn(BH4)(2) in the pressure range of 8.6-11.8 GPa. delta'-phase is not isostructural to the second high-pressure phase of Mg(BH4)(2), and its structure was determined in the root 2a X c supercell compared to the delta-phase and refined in the space group Fddd with a = 9.205(17), b = 9.321(10), c = 12.638(15) angstrom, and V = 1084(3) angstrom(3) at 11.8 GPa. Equations of state were determined for alpha- and delta-Mn(BH4)(2).