Abstract: Gold compressed in the presence of a hydrocarbon hydrogen source was heated with an X-ray free electron laser in a pump-probe experiment. Above 40 GPa and 2200 K, it reacts to form hexagonal gold hydride. The hydrogen is superionic in the gold lattice and diffuses freely. Gold is usually known as an unreactive metal, and its enhanced reactivity under extreme conditions points to modifications to chemistry in this regime, as explained by Mungo Frost et al. in their Research Article (e202505811). Image by Greg Stewart/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.
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