美科学家成功将氟压缩到半导体，可用于高效率燃料电池

美国国防部旗下防恐威胁署(Threat Reduction Agency)以及美国国家科学基金会(NSF)的研究人员证实，氟(fluorine)能被压缩到半导体以及晶体金属(crystalline metal)中，应用范围包括可摧毁有毒微生物的超强力氧化物、高效率燃料电池，或是室温半导体组件。

“我们是第一次成功将氟金属化(metalized)；”来自华盛顿州立大学(Washington State University)的研究人员Choong-Shik Yoo表示：“我们已经证实了一个概念，也就是在正确的条件之下，氟能让半导体以及晶体金属展现出全新的特性。”

研究人员是透过将氟化氙(xenon di-fluoride，XeF2，一种用来蚀刻硅导体的材料)，掺入两个钻石砧(diamond anvil)之间，并加注约50万(50 GPa)大气压力，制作出一个2D形状、类石墨(graphite-like)的半导体组件；而若将大气压力提高到100Gpa，则会产生晶体金属。在这种状态下，高度集中的氟能在数秒内杀死有毒微生物，甚至用来改善燃料电池技术。

“这种材料可以用来作为类似燃料电池的装置，而且不需要额外的燃料或是氧化剂，运作方式类似化学能(chemical energy)，可以被储存也可以释出做为电力。”Yoo解释。研究人员的下一步是把该材料合成为更大的规模，并在环境条件之下使其更稳定；其他应用可能包括做为超导体材料。

不过Yoo也强调：“目前仍在理论会话，细节尚未公开；只是相关研究显示那些氟化物材料可能实现超导电性(superconductivity)。”

(参考原文： Fluorine could energize fuel cells, superconductors，by R. Colin Johnson)

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Fluorine could energize fuel cells, superconductors

by R. Colin Johnson

Researchers working for the Pentagon's Threat Reduction Agency and the National Science Foundation have demonstrated that fluorine can be compressed into both a semiconductor and crystalline metal.

Applications could range from an ultra-powerful oxidizer for destroying toxic microbes to super-efficient fuel cells to room-temperature superconductors.

"We have, for the first time, metalized fluorine," claimed researcher Choong-Shik Yoo of Washington State University. "We have proven the concept that under the right conditions, fluorine can exhibit the novel properties of both a semiconductor and a crystalline metal."

By inserting xenon di-fluoride (XeF2, a material used to etch silicon conductors) between two diamond anvils and applying almost half-a-million atmospheres (50 GPa), the researchers produced a two-dimensional graphite-like semiconductor. The application of almost 1 million atmospheres (100 Gpa) yielded crystalline metal.

In this state, the highly concentrated fluorine could kill toxic microbes in seconds. Moreover, the energy used to compress it could be recovered as electricity from a modified fuel-cell.

"This material could be used like in a fuel-cell like device. It would not have a separate fuel and oxidizer, but its operation would be similar in that chemical energy would be stored and could be released as electricity," said Yoo.

The researchers said their next step will be to synthesize the materials on a larger scale and find ways to stabilize them under ambient conditions. Applications also could include superconducting materials.

"There is theoretical work, which has not been published yet, that indicates that superconductivity may be achieved in these fluorine materials," said Yoo.