Phase transitions of carbon tetrachloride under static and dynamic pressures

The phase transitions of carbon tetrachloride under static and dynamic compression were measured by high-pressure Raman spectroscopy. Under a static compression of up to 10 GPa, carbon tetrachloride underwent five phase transitions at approximately 0.25 GPa, 0.45 GPa, 0.71 GPa, 2.26 GPa and 7.32 GPa. An obvious liquid-liquid phase transition of carbon tetrachloride was observed at approximately 0.25 GPa. The appearance of the metastable liquid could be attributed to a mild thermodynamic process enabled by small increases in pressure. Under dynamic compression, liquid carbon tetrachloride was solidified by rapid compression from approximately 0.40 GPa to 1.57 GPa, 2.26 GPa and 2.87 GPa. It was found that liquid carbon tetrachloride could solidify to form a metastable phase (amorphous or nanocrystalline) along with a pressure jump. Interestingly, the phase transition behavior was not influenced by the rapid compression of the solid carbon tetrachloride. The unusual phase transition of carbon tetrachloride can be explained by pressure-induced supercooling and the fast compression rate. •Effect of compression rate on the phase transitions of carbon tetrachloride.•Transformation from liquid to liquid of carbon tetrachloride at static pressure of 0.25GPa.•A new dynamic-Diamond Anvil Cell exploring phase behavior of carbon tetrachloride.•Liquid carbon tetrachloride was solidified as a disordered phase by rapid compression.