Reversible elastic deformation of functionalized sp² carbon at pressures of up to 33 GPa

We show that sp² carbon bonded to silicon and oxygen can withstand reversible elastic deformation at pressures of up to 33 GPa. These experiments were carried out in a diamond anvil cell. In-situ Raman spectroscopy was employed to record the reversibility of elastic deformation by measuring the movement in the D and G peaks of carbon. Above 33 GPa the material, a silicon oxycarbide, transforms into an unidentified state which is retained upon unloading down to ambient pressure. Thermodynamical analysis suggests that the material could have transformed into a crystalline state at these ultrahigh pressures, driven by mechanical work.