Scientists have just created a stable helium compound

According to what we have learned (but may still remember or have forgotten), helium gas is a strange gas. This rare gas is the least reactive element in the periodic table.

When other rare gas elements show signs of compounding when placed under extreme pressure, helium does not change at all. But everything is different.

Scientists have just published a report saying that they have created a stable compound of helium-sodium and that this compound is challenging our understanding of modern chemistry.

"Chemical properties change when high pressure elements are added, which can be applied right on our Earth as well as other planets like Saturn , " said Ivan Popov from the research team. "But this new compound is what will change my textbook."

Helium is a strange gas.

Helium, the second most abundant element in our universe, belongs to the group of 6 rare-gas elements that are inert and have the very nature that prevents the ability to form compounds when combined with other elements. Some elements of this group of 6 have shown a reaction when placed under high pressure: group 6 can be divided into two smaller groups, with krypton - xenon - radon considered to be reactive in one At some point, argon - neon - helium belongs to extremely poor reaction group.

In the past, scientists have found several ways to combine helium with some other elements, but the results are ambiguous.

One of the best examples of helium interacting with other elements is the van der Waals force - a kind of molecular force produced by the polarization of molecules (for example, Van der Waals forces have can be seen on the adhesive ability of adhesive tape).

Researchers still know that there is a weak Van der Waals force that exists between helium and other atoms. At extremely low temperatures, helium can produce Van der Waals molecules, a group of atoms that are weak and non-existent.

One of the most abundant elements in the universe, a star-making element, giant gas and helium planets can play a very different role in the universe and right on our Earth. Scientists have just found the first evidence of that strange behavior.

Diamond anvil cell.

"Extremely high pressure can be found in the Earth's core or near giant planets that can alter the chemical properties of helium," said researcher Alex Boldyrey of the same team.

They used a computer system "to predict the crystal structure" to find out that when placed under tremendous pressure, a stable helium-sodium compound will be formed. After successful predictions, they created an unprecedented compound, a real compound that existed as Na ₂ He . They did this unbelievable thing on Diamond anvil cell - a high-pressure device for special tests, allowing the insertion of helium and sodium at extremely high pressures, about 1.1 million times larger. Earth's atmospheric pressure.

"These studies surprised us tremendously, according to Boldyrey, and it took two years for him and his team to convince chemical investigators to publish their research , " Mary-Ann. Muffoletto at Phys.org said.

This compound is created without a chemical bond to keep them together.

Based on these research results, the team of scientists predicts that sodium and helium will easily produce stable Na2He compounds under a pressure greater than 10 million times the pressure they used.

Strangely, this compound is created without a chemical bond to keep them together.

"The compound we created is very strange: helium atoms do not produce a chemical bond, but their presence shows a change between the interactions of sodium atoms, catching the right electrons. They are packed in the gaps of the compound structure, and they also make this compound insulated, " said Professor Xiao Dong from the research team.

This is the crystal structure of both Na ₂ He - a solid structure of sodium atom (purple) and helium (blue) cugnf with electrons (red) in the middle of the gaps.

"It is not a true chemical bond, but helium has stabilized that crystal structure, if it takes away those helium atoms, the structure will no longer be stable," Professor Papov said. .

This is another image of the compound, with purple sodium, white helium on the right; and sodium block - gray helium and electron red:

Sodium purple, white helium on the right;and sodium blocks - gray helium and electrons are red.

Recently, chemists have discovered many discoveries that "break the limit" , such as synthesized metal hydrogen not long ago. But often these discoveries get a lot of nostalgia when, when no more similar tests are created by other scientists.

With this research, the results seem better than ever. We may be able to see more interesting experiments continue.

"This science is much deeper , " said physicist Henry Rzepa from the Royal College of London, who is not part of the research team, when he compared the new compound to the discovery of metallic hydrogen. Not long ago. "This helium compound is a big breakthrough."

Still need more tests, but this 2017 seems to see many more breakthroughs. Let's wait and see!