High pressure chemistry of molecular systems: Recent experimental results and developments

It is widely recognized that relevant new chemistry is being discovered by applying high pressures. The study of the equation of state, pressure-induced phase transitions, reactivity, etc., of molecular systems are topics of increasing interest in high pressure science. This paper compiles recent studies performed by the author on molecular systems at high pressures. This includes, on the theoretical side, a reference to a universal model of EOS for both liquids and solids at high pressure. Several experiments performed by the author are also discussed; among others, a high pressure polymerization of carbon monoxide, the design of an anvil cell system developed in our laboratory, introducing an alternative Raman pressure scale when sapphires are mounted as anvils (SAC configuration) and, finally, several actual SAC experiments are presented, including examples of phase transitions and reactivity at high pressure on double and triple bonded molecular systems.