High pressure metallization and amorphization of the molecular crystal Sn(IBr){sub 2}

An insulator-to-metal transition concurring with amorphization is found in the cubic (Pa{bar 3}) molecular crystal Sn(IBr){sub 2} at P {approx} 20 GPa. Measurements were carried out with diamond-anvil cells at pressures up to {approximately}30 GPa using resistance measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and {sup 119}Sn Moessbauer spectroscopy (MS). With increasing pressure a new crystalline phase is observed in the 10--23 GPa range; at P {approx} 16 GPa a gradual onset of structural disorder is first observed, and full amorphization takes place at P {ge} 21 GPa. Both electronic properties as measured by R(P,T) and MS data are consistent with a gradual growth of disordered (SnI{sub 2}Br{sub 2}){sub n} polymeric chains, formed by intermolecular I{single_bond}I bonding allowing for electronic delocalization to occur. Upon decompression both XRD and {sup 119}Sn MS show a significant pressure hysteresis