High-pressure X-ray study of NbON oxynitride: direct transition from baddeleyite to cotunnite structure

The structural properties of NbON oxynitride under high pressure were investigated through in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (SXRD) up to 43 GPa. It was found that the bulk modulus of baddeleyite NbON (290 GPa) is larger than that of ZrO2 (150 GPa), indicating that the introduction of highly covalent nitrogen imparts greater stiffness. Furthermore, SXRD patterns reveal the emergence of a peak signaling a new crystalline phase above around 20 GPa. This is in contrast to TaON, where diffraction patterns only show an increase in background beyond 33 GPa. First-principle calculations suggest that the high-pressure phase adopts an orthorhombic cotunnite-type structure, distinguishing it from the oxide counterparts, wherein the ambient pressure phase transforms to a cotunnite structure via an orthorhombic-I structure.