Our research program is focused on the use of high pressure and high temperature to control and modify properties and structure of matter, to induce chemical reactions and synthesize novel materials, with unique properties. The particular phenomena we am most fascinated with are pressure-controlled osmotic transport in crystalline membrane systems, pressure-induced topochemical polymerization, and pressure-controlled spin crossover in transition metal ceramics. The major reasons for targeting these particular areas are the generality and applicability of the underlying thermodynamic models (e.g. the pressure-controlled osmotic transport occurs in zeolites, polyelectrolytes, proteins, live cells, and street traffic), combined with unique opportunity to precisely control the stimulus (pressure) and monitor changes in structure and properties through in-situ probes, as well as the potential wide technological applications (e.g. spintronics and MEMS applications of TMO).

The current projects, we are involved in focus on studying: (i) structural, electronic and order-disorder phase transitions in transition metal compounds, (ii) phase transitions relevant for understanding of impact phenomena products found in meteorites, (iii) high-pressure polymerization of elements. Most of these projects have been stimulated by geoscience applications.

Graphite - Does single-crystal graphite transform to diamond through interpolytypic transition?

Marokite - What is the nature of the high pressure post-spinel phases

Eskolite - Does Cr2O3 transform to a monoclinic phase?