This project explored the phenomenon of pressure-induced amorphization (PIA) in clathrate hydrates—crystalline compounds in which water molecules form cage-like structures encapsulating small guest species. Through in situ neutron diffraction, the research investigated how mechanical compression at low temperatures transforms these crystalline hydrates into amorphous solids, and how subsequent annealing under pressure produces distinct amorphous states that remain stable upon decompression.
Neutron scattering played a crucial role in resolving the structural changes due to its high sensitivity to hydrogen, enabling detailed comparison between amorphous clathrate hydrates and pure amorphous ice. The results contributed to a generalized understanding of amorphization and amorphous–amorphous transitions in water-based systems, offering new insight into the structural behavior of ice-like materials under extreme conditions relevant to both fundamental physics and planetary science.