Recognition: unknown
Comparative high-pressure study on rare-earth entropy fluorite-type oxides
Pith reviewed 2026-05-10 17:03 UTC · model grok-4.3
The pith
Rare-earth fluorite oxides retain cubic structure under pressure but show a compressibility anomaly from local distortions between 9 and 16 GPa.
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
Core claim
Both (CePr)O2-δ and (CePrLa)O2-δ retain the cubic fluorite structure up to at least 20-30 GPa, yet display an anomaly between 9-16 GPa marked by a compressibility plateau and vibrational mode changes attributed to local lattice distortions and progressive bond angle bending instead of abrupt transitions; the ternary system shows amorphization onset above 22 GPa, a modest drop in bulk modulus after the anomaly, suppression of the F2g Raman mode with greater cationic disorder, and partial reordering under compression via rising RE-O mode intensity.
What carries the argument
Synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction paired with Raman spectroscopy to monitor long-range structure retention and local vibrational responses under compression.
If this is right
- Higher configurational entropy can reduce pressure stability by advancing the onset of amorphization.
- Bulk modulus softening follows the anomaly, indicating subtle lattice softening without symmetry breaking.
- Raman mode intensity shifts can track partial reordering of cations under pressure.
- Local distortions produce measurable anomalies in macroscopic compressibility and vibrations.
- These oxides maintain fluorite symmetry to high pressures, supporting use in extreme-condition environments.
Where Pith is reading between the lines
- Similar entropy-tuned fluorite oxides could be engineered for pressure-tunable compressibility in ceramic applications.
- Indirect probes leave open the possibility that the anomaly involves undetected short-range ordering changes.
- Extending the pressure range or adding local probes would test whether the distortion mechanism generalizes to other high-entropy oxides.
- The interplay of cation size mismatch and entropy may set design rules for balancing stability and disorder in oxide ceramics.
Load-bearing premise
The compressibility plateau and Raman changes between 9 and 16 GPa arise from local lattice distortions and bond angle bending rather than an undetected phase transition or alternative mechanism.
What would settle it
Local-structure measurements such as EXAFS or pair-distribution-function analysis performed at 10-15 GPa that either confirm or rule out progressive bond-length and angle variations without loss of cubic symmetry.
read the original abstract
We report a comparative high-pressure study of two fluorite-type rare-earth oxides with increasing configurational entropy, (CePr)O$_{2-{\delta}}$ and (CePrLa)O$_{2-{\delta}}$. Synchrotron-based powder X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were carried out up to 30 GPa and 20 GPa, respectively. Both compounds retain the cubic fluorite structure throughout the pressure range explored, although an anomaly is observed between 9-16 GPa, characterized by a compressibility plateau and changes in vibrational modes. This behavior is attributed to local lattice distortions and a progressive bond angle bending rather than abrupt phase transitions. In (CePrLa)O$_{2-{\delta}}$, the onset of amorphization is observed above 22 GPa, highlighting its reduced structural stability. The bulk modulus of both systems shows a slight decrease after the onset of the anomaly, suggesting subtle lattice softening. Raman spectroscopy reveals suppression of the F$_{2g}$ mode intensity with increasing cationic disorder, and under compression, partial reordering is evidenced by an increase in the RE-O mode intensity. Our results highlight the complex interplay between configurational entropy, cation size, and pressure in determining the structural stability and vibrational properties of rare-earth high-entropy oxides and provide insight into the mechanisms governing their resilience and local disorder under extreme conditions.
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. The manuscript reports synchrotron powder XRD and Raman spectroscopy measurements on two rare-earth high-entropy fluorite oxides, (CePr)O_{2-δ} and (CePrLa)O_{2-δ}, up to 30 GPa and 20 GPa. Both compounds are claimed to retain the cubic fluorite structure over the full pressure range, with a compressibility plateau and vibrational-mode changes observed between 9-16 GPa that are interpreted as arising from progressive local lattice distortions and RE-O bond-angle bending rather than an abrupt phase transition. The La-containing compound shows onset of amorphization above 22 GPa; the bulk modulus decreases slightly after the anomaly, and Raman data indicate suppression of the F_{2g} mode with disorder and partial reordering under pressure.
Significance. If the structural retention and the existence of the 9-16 GPa anomaly are confirmed, the comparative data on how configurational entropy and cation size modulate compressibility and vibrational response would be useful for the high-entropy oxide community. The experimental observation of retained average cubic symmetry to 30 GPa is a solid contribution; however, the mechanistic attribution to local distortions rests on indirect indicators and would gain significance only with additional local-structure validation or a more cautious interpretation.
major comments (2)
- [Abstract and results/discussion] Abstract and results/discussion sections: the central interpretation that the 9-16 GPa compressibility plateau and Raman-mode changes arise from 'local lattice distortions and a progressive bond angle bending rather than abrupt phase transitions' is not directly supported by the data presented. Powder XRD provides only average long-range structure and cannot distinguish gradual local symmetry lowering from alternative mechanisms (incipient amorphization, cation reordering, or electronic reconfiguration). No EXAFS, PDF, or single-crystal diffraction data are reported to quantify local bond-length or angle distributions across the anomaly.
- [Results] Results section (lattice-parameter and EOS analysis): no error bars are reported on the refined lattice parameters, no details are given on the fitting procedure or equation-of-state model used to identify the compressibility plateau, and no statistical assessment of the plateau's significance is provided. This omission makes it impossible to evaluate whether the reported anomaly is statistically robust or within experimental uncertainty.
minor comments (2)
- [Abstract and experimental methods] The notation O_{2-δ} is used without specifying how δ is determined or whether it varies with pressure; a brief statement on oxygen stoichiometry would improve clarity.
- [Figures and results] Figure captions and text should explicitly state the pressure range and number of data points used for the bulk-modulus extraction before and after the anomaly.
Simulated Author's Rebuttal
We thank the referee for the constructive and detailed review. We address each major comment below and have revised the manuscript to strengthen the presentation of our results while acknowledging the limitations of the available data.
read point-by-point responses
-
Referee: [Abstract and results/discussion] Abstract and results/discussion sections: the central interpretation that the 9-16 GPa compressibility plateau and Raman-mode changes arise from 'local lattice distortions and a progressive bond angle bending rather than abrupt phase transitions' is not directly supported by the data presented. Powder XRD provides only average long-range structure and cannot distinguish gradual local symmetry lowering from alternative mechanisms (incipient amorphization, cation reordering, or electronic reconfiguration). No EXAFS, PDF, or single-crystal diffraction data are reported to quantify local bond-length or angle distributions across the anomaly.
Authors: We agree that powder XRD reports only the average long-range structure and that our attribution of the anomaly to local distortions and bond-angle bending is necessarily interpretive rather than directly proven. The data show retention of cubic symmetry with no new peaks and a plateau in the equation-of-state fit accompanied by Raman-mode evolution; these observations are inconsistent with an abrupt first-order transition but do not exclude other gradual processes. Because EXAFS, PDF, or single-crystal measurements were not performed in this study, we cannot quantify local bond-length or angle distributions. In the revised manuscript we have rephrased the abstract and discussion to present local lattice distortions and progressive bond-angle bending as a plausible mechanism consistent with the combined XRD and Raman observations, while explicitly noting the indirect nature of the evidence and the value of future local-structure probes. revision: partial
-
Referee: [Results] Results section (lattice-parameter and EOS analysis): no error bars are reported on the refined lattice parameters, no details are given on the fitting procedure or equation-of-state model used to identify the compressibility plateau, and no statistical assessment of the plateau's significance is provided. This omission makes it impossible to evaluate whether the reported anomaly is statistically robust or within experimental uncertainty.
Authors: We thank the referee for highlighting these omissions. The revised manuscript now reports error bars on all refined lattice parameters obtained from Rietveld analysis. We have added a full description of the fitting protocol, including the use of a third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state, and we include a statistical evaluation (segmented linear regression with an F-test for change in slope) demonstrating that the compressibility plateau between 9 and 16 GPa is significant relative to the experimental uncertainties. revision: yes
Circularity Check
No circularity: purely experimental observations with direct measurements
full rationale
The paper reports synchrotron XRD and Raman data up to 30 GPa on two high-entropy fluorite oxides. All central claims (structure retention, 9-16 GPa anomaly, compressibility plateau, mode changes, amorphization onset) are presented as direct experimental results without equations, fitted parameters, predictions derived from inputs, or self-citation chains. The attribution to local distortions is interpretive but rests on observed data rather than any quantity defined in terms of itself. No load-bearing derivations exist to inspect for circularity.
Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger
axioms (2)
- domain assumption Powder X-ray diffraction patterns matching the cubic fluorite structure confirm phase retention.
- domain assumption Changes in Raman mode intensity and position reflect local lattice distortions under pressure.
Reference graph
Works this paper leans on
-
[1]
[1], high-entropy oxides (HEOs) have emerged as a novel class of materials with exceptional structural and functional versatility
Introduction Since their first synthesis in 2015 by Rost et al. [1], high-entropy oxides (HEOs) have emerged as a novel class of materials with exceptional structural and functional versatility. These materials, defined by the presence of multiple cationic species in near -equimolar ratios, exhibit remarkable properties such as enhanced thermal stability,...
2015
-
[2]
Materials and methods a. Synthesis of materials Materials used as reagents in the current investigation were Ce(CH 3CO2)3·3H2O, Pr(CH3CO2)3·3H2O and La(CH3CO2)3·3H2O, analytically pure (99.9%) and used as received from Thermo Scientific Chemicals. The starting Ce -, Pr-, or La -containing solutions were prepared by dissolving their respective salts in dis...
-
[3]
Results and discussion a. Ambient conditions structural characterization The structural integrity and phase purity of the synthesized fluorite -type compounds, (CePr)O₂- and (CePrLa)O₂-, were first evaluated through Rietveld refinement of their powder XRD patterns, as shown in Figure 1. The good agreement between the experimental data and the calculated...
-
[4]
Both materials exhibit a distinctive compression anomaly in the 9 –16 GPa range, observed as a plateau in their compressibility and a slope change in the RE -O Raman mode
Conclusions In conclusion, the synthesized (CePr)O ₂- and (CePrLa)O ₂- compounds demonstrate remarkable structural robustness under high pressure, retaining the fluorite -type cubic symmetry up to 30 GPa without undergoing any abrupt phase transitions. Both materials exhibit a distinctive compression anomaly in the 9 –16 GPa range, observed as a plateau...
2019
-
[5]
M.; Sachet, E.; Borman, T.; Moballegh, A.; Dickey, E
Rost, C. M.; Sachet, E.; Borman, T.; Moballegh, A.; Dickey, E. C.; Hou, D.; Jones, J. L.; Curtarolo, S.; Maria, J.-P. Entropy-stabilized oxides. Nat. Commun. 2015, 6, 8485. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9485
-
[6]
Djenadic, R.; Sarkar, A.; Clemens, O.; Loho, C.; Botros, M.; Chakravadhanula, V. S. K. Multicomponent equiatomic rare earth oxides. Mater. Res. Express 2016, 3, 102 –
2016
-
[7]
DOI: 10.1080/21663831.2016.1220433
-
[8]
Šarić, S.; Kojčinović, J.; Tatar, D.; Djerdj, I. Overview of Recent Advances in Rare - Earth High -Entropy Oxides as Multifunctional Materials for Next -Gen Technology Applications. Molecules 2025, 30, 1082. DOI: 10.3390/molecules30051082
-
[9]
Pan, Y.; Liu, J. -X.; Tu, T. -Z.; Wang, W.; Zhang, G. -J. High -entropy oxides for catalysis: A diamond in the rough. Chem. Eng. J. 2023, 451, 138659. DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2022.138659
-
[10]
Patel, P.; Roy, A.; Sharifi, N.; Stoyanov, P.; Chromik, R. R.; Moreau, C. Tribological Performance of High-Entropy Coatings (HECs): A Review. Materials 2022, 15, 3699. DOI: 10.3390/ma15103699
-
[11]
M.; Singh, S
Sen, S.; Palabathuni, M.; Ryan, K. M.; Singh, S. High Entropy Oxides: Mapping the Landscape from Fundamentals to Future Vistas. ACS Energy Lett. 2024, 9 (8), 3694–
2024
-
[12]
DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.4c01129
-
[13]
Pressure-induced tuning of lattice distortion in a high-entropy oxide
Cheng, B.; Lou, H.; Sarkar, A.; et al. Pressure-induced tuning of lattice distortion in a high-entropy oxide. Commun. Chem. 2019, 2, 114. DOI: 10.1038/s42004 -019-0216- 2
-
[14]
Cheng, B.; Lou, H.; Sarkar, A.; Zeng, Z.; Zhang, F.; Chen, X.; Tan, L.; Glazyrin, K.; Liermann, H.-P.; Yan, J.; Wang, L.; Djenadic, R.; Hahn, H.; Zeng, Q. Lattice distortion and stability of (Co₀.₂Cu₀.₂Mg₀.₂Ni₀.₂Zn₀.₂)O high -entropy oxide under high pressu re. Materials Today Adv. 2020, 8, 100102. DOI: 10.1016/j.mtadv.2020.100102
-
[15]
Deformation behavior of high-entropy oxide (Mg,Co,Ni,Cu,Zn)O under high pressure
Zhang, L.; Wang, Y.; Li, H.; Chen, J.; Zhao, Q. Deformation behavior of high-entropy oxide (Mg,Co,Ni,Cu,Zn)O under high pressure. J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 2022, 42, 5383 –
2022
-
[16]
DOI: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2022.03.030
-
[17]
Dielectric properties of (FeCoCrMnZn)₃O₄ high-entropy oxide at high pressure
Zhang, L.; Wang, Y.; Li, H.; Chen, J.; Zhao, Q. Dielectric properties of (FeCoCrMnZn)₃O₄ high-entropy oxide at high pressure. J. Alloys Compd. 2023, 983, 167279. DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2023.167279
-
[18]
The high -pressure study of nanocrystalline CeO₂
Xiong, L.; Liang, B.; Li, B.; Tu, P.; Miao, F.; Zhang, Y. The high -pressure study of nanocrystalline CeO₂. Int. J. Mod. Phys. B 2020, 34, 2050071. DOI: 10.1142/S021797922050071X
-
[19]
Unusual compression behavior of nanocrystalline CeO₂
Wang, Q.; He, D.; Peng, F.; Lei, L.; Liu, P.; Yin, S.; Wang, P.; Xu, C.; Liu, J. Unusual compression behavior of nanocrystalline CeO₂. Sci. Rep . 2014, 4, 4441. DOI: 10.1038/srep04441
-
[20]
H.; Velisavljevic, N.; Park, C.; Sun, H.; Waller, G
Rainwater, B. H.; Velisavljevic, N.; Park, C.; Sun, H.; Waller, G. H.; Tsoi, G. M.; Vohra, Y. K.; Liu, M. High pressure structural study of samarium doped CeO₂ oxygen vacancy conductor —Insight into the dopant concentration relationship to the strain effect in thin film ionic conductors. Solid State Ionics 2016, 292, 59 –65. DOI: 10.1016/j.ssi.2016.05.014
-
[21]
Duclos, S. J.; Vohra, Y. K.; Ruoff, A. L.; Jayaraman, A.; Espinosa, G. High -pressure x-ray diffraction study of CeO₂ to 70 GPa and pressure -induced phase transformation from the fluorite structure. Phys. Rev. B 1988, 38 (11), 7755 –7758. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.38.7755
-
[22]
Powder diffraction analysis of cerium dioxide at high pressure
Gerward, L.; Staun Olsen, J. Powder diffraction analysis of cerium dioxide at high pressure. Powder Diffr. 1993, 8 (2), 127–129. DOI: 10.1017/S0885715600017966
-
[23]
Bulk modulus of CeO₂ and PrO₂ —An experimental and theoretical study
Gerward, L.; Staun Olsen, J.; Petit, L.; Vaitheeswaran, G.; Kanchana, V.; Svane, A. Bulk modulus of CeO₂ and PrO₂ —An experimental and theoretical study. J. Alloys Compd. 2005, 400 (1–2), 56–61. DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2005.04.040
-
[24]
K.; Velisavljevic, N.; Dattelbaum, D
Jacobsen, M. K.; Velisavljevic, N.; Dattelbaum, D. M.; Chellappa, R. S.; Park, C. High pressure and temperature equation of state and spectroscopic study of CeO₂. J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 2016, 28 (15), 155401. DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/28/15/155401
-
[25]
Fauth, F.; Peral, I.; Popescu, C.; Knapp, M. The New Material Science Powder Diffraction Beamline at ALBA Synchrotron. Powder Diffr. 2013, 28, S360. DOI: 10.1017/S0885715613000900
-
[26]
Dewaele, M.; Torrent, P.; Loubeyre, P.; Mezouar, M. Compression Curves of Transition Metals in the Mbar Range: Experiments and Projector Augmented -Wave Calculations. Phys. Rev. B 2008, 78, 104102. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.78.104102
-
[27]
Structural Transitions of 4:1 Methanol –Ethanol Mixture and Silicone Oil under High Pressure
Chen, X.; Lou, H.; Zeng, Z.; Cheng, B.; Zhang, X.; Liu, Y.; Xu, D.; Yang, K.; Zeng, Q. Structural Transitions of 4:1 Methanol –Ethanol Mixture and Silicone Oil under High Pressure. Matter Radiat. Extremes 2021, 6, 038402. DOI: 10.1063/5.0044893
-
[28]
Prescher, C.; Prakapenka, V. B. DIOPTAS: A Program for Reduction of Two - Dimensional X-ray Diffraction Data and Data Exploration. High Press. Res. 2015, 35,
2015
-
[29]
DOI: 10.1080/08957959.2015.1059835
-
[30]
Larson, A. C.; Von Dreele, R. B. GSAS, General Structure Analysis System. Los Alamos National Laboratory Report LAUR 2000, 86, 748. DOI: 10.1107/S0021889813003531
-
[31]
VESTA3 for three-dimensional visualization of crystal, volumetric and morphology data
Momma, K.; Izumi, F. VESTA 3 for Three -Dimensional Visualization of Crystal, Volumetric and Morphology Data. J. Appl. Crystallogr. 2011, 44, 1272. DOI: 10.1107/S0021889811038970
-
[32]
Shen, G.; Wang, Y.; Dewaele, A.; Wu, C.; Fratanduono, D. E.; Eggert, J. Toward an International Practical Pressure Scale: A Proposal for an IPPS Ruby Gauge (IPPS - Ruby2020). High Press. Res. 2020, 40, 299 –314. DOI: 10.1080/08957959.2020.1791107
-
[33]
High -Entropy Ceramics: Review of Principles, Production and Applications
Akrami, S.; Edalati, P.; Fuji, M.; Edalati , K. High -Entropy Ceramics: Review of Principles, Production and Applications. Mater. Sci. Eng. R -Rep. 2021, 146, 100644. DOI: 10.1016/j.mser.2021.100644
-
[34]
Serre,Local Fields, Graduate Texts in Mathematics, vol
Wang, Z. L.; Kang, Z. C. Fluorite-Type and Related Structure Systems. In Functional and Smart Materials; Springer: Boston, MA, 1998; pp 129–176. DOI: 10.1007/978-1- 4615-5367-0_5
-
[35]
Botella, P.; Sánchez -Martín, J.; Gomis, O.; Oliva, R.; Gallego Parra, S.; Pellicer - Porres, J.; Garbarino, G.; Alabarse, F. G.; Achary, S. N.; Errandonea, D. High-Pressure Structural Study on the Effects of Pressure -Transmitting Media on Bi₁₄MoO₂₄ and Bi₁₄CrO₂₄ Compounds. Cryst. Growth Des. 2024, 24, 1 –9. DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.4c00904
-
[36]
Errandonea, D.; Kumar, R. S.; Achary, S. N.; Gomis, O.; Manjón, F. J.; Shukla, R.; Tyagi, A. K. New High -Pressure Phase and Equation of State of Ce₂Zr₂O₈. J. Appl. Phys. 2012, 111, 053519. DOI: 10.1063/1.3692807
-
[37]
Liu, S.; Huang, Y.; Li, S.; Lin, Q.; Wang, J.; Xie, S.; Liu, F.; Xu, H.; Chen, Y. Unique κ-Ce₂Zr₂O₈ Superstructure Promoting the NOₓ Adsorption -Selective Catalytic Reduction (AdSCR) Performance of the WO₃/CeZrOₓ Catalyst. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2023, 57, 16685–16694. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05384
-
[38]
A.; Ghosh, S.; Ravi, V.; Santhosh, P
Irshad, K. A.; Ghosh, S.; Ravi, V.; Santhosh, P. N.; Tyagi, A. K.; Rao, G. V. High - Pressure Behavior of Hexagonal Rare Earth Sesquioxide La₂O₃: X -ray Diffraction, Raman Spectroscopy, and First -Principle Calculations. J. Alloys Compd. 2020, 822, 153657. DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.153657. Author Contributions P. Botella: Conceptualization, Formal analy...
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.