Novel Hydrogen Hydrate Structures under Pressure

Gas hydrates are systems of prime importance. In particular, hydrogen hydrates are potential materials of icy satellites and comets, and may be used for hydrogen storage. We explore the H₂O-H₂ system at pressures in the range 0-100 GPa with ab initio variable-composition evolutionary simulations. According to our calculation and previous experiments, the H₂O-H₂ system undergoes a series of transformations with pressure, and adopts the known open-network clathrate structures (sII, C₀), dense "filled ice" structures (C₁, C₂) and two novel hydrate phases. One of these is based on the hexagonal ice framework and has the same H₂O:H₂ ratio (2:1) as the C₀ phase at low pressures and similar enthalpy (we name this phase Ih-C₀). The other newly predicted hydrate phase has a 1:2 H₂O:H₂ ratio and structure based on cubic ice. This phase (which we name C₃) is predicted to be thermodynamically stable above 38 GPa when including van der Waals interactions and zero-point vibrational energy, and explains previously mysterious experimental X-ray diffraction and Raman measurements. This is the hydrogen-richest hydrate and this phase has a remarkable gravimetric density (18 wt.%) of easily extractable hydrogen.