Metal-nonmetal transitions in liquids under pressure

Abstract

A brief review is presented on the aspects and mechanisms of the metal-nonmetal (M-NM) transition in the liquids under pressure. The correlations between the electronic and thermodynamic properties near the M-NM transition are discussed on expanded liquid Hg, liquid SeTe mixtures and liquid BiBiBr 3 mixtures. In expanded liquid Hg, the M-NM transition occurs at density near 9 g/cm 3 where anomalous behavior is found in the equation-of-state. In liquid SeTe mixtures, the transition from Se-like loosely packed to Te-like densely packed structure takes place by changing temperature, pressure and Te concentration. The M-NM transition is observed around 50 mole % Bi in the BiBiBr 3 mixture, which is caused by the rapture of Bi +Bi 3+ pairs in the mixed valence state. On the transition the sound velocity shows abrupt change.