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Main Authors: Ma, Shuran, Cong, Xue, Wang, Yanchang, Chen, Yuanzheng, Liu, Zhen
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.08901
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author Ma, Shuran
Cong, Xue
Wang, Yanchang
Chen, Yuanzheng
Liu, Zhen
author_facet Ma, Shuran
Cong, Xue
Wang, Yanchang
Chen, Yuanzheng
Liu, Zhen
contents While the high oxidation states in heavy alkali fluorides (Cs, Ba, Ra) have been attributed to a pressure-driven upshift of energy level of inner p states, this route is largely ineffective for Rb because its smaller ionic radius suppresses the required level rise even under strong compression. Here, we predict a high-pressure layered ternary phase, RbBF5, in which 12-fold truncated-cube-like F coordination around Rb breaks local symmetry and activates the Rb 4p inner shell. The resulting orbital splitting selectively elevates the in-plane Rb 4px,y levels toward the F 2p manifold, enabling inner-shell participation and stabilizing Rb-F bonding under compression. More broadly, this symmetry-lowering coordination motif may provide a general mechanism for activating inner-shell p states in other alkali metals (e.g., K and Cs inner p states). These findings extend inner-shell chemistry to lighter main-group elements and establish a design principle for accessing unconventional bonding and oxidation states at high pressure.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_08901
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Activation of Inner-Shell 4p-Orbital Electrons of Rubidium Driven by Asymmetric Coordination at High Pressure
Ma, Shuran
Cong, Xue
Wang, Yanchang
Chen, Yuanzheng
Liu, Zhen
Materials Science
While the high oxidation states in heavy alkali fluorides (Cs, Ba, Ra) have been attributed to a pressure-driven upshift of energy level of inner p states, this route is largely ineffective for Rb because its smaller ionic radius suppresses the required level rise even under strong compression. Here, we predict a high-pressure layered ternary phase, RbBF5, in which 12-fold truncated-cube-like F coordination around Rb breaks local symmetry and activates the Rb 4p inner shell. The resulting orbital splitting selectively elevates the in-plane Rb 4px,y levels toward the F 2p manifold, enabling inner-shell participation and stabilizing Rb-F bonding under compression. More broadly, this symmetry-lowering coordination motif may provide a general mechanism for activating inner-shell p states in other alkali metals (e.g., K and Cs inner p states). These findings extend inner-shell chemistry to lighter main-group elements and establish a design principle for accessing unconventional bonding and oxidation states at high pressure.
title Activation of Inner-Shell 4p-Orbital Electrons of Rubidium Driven by Asymmetric Coordination at High Pressure
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.08901