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Yes. Researchers predicted several sodium–chlorine compounds with ratios other than table salt’s 1:1 formula, and synthesized NaCl3 and Na3Cl under extreme high-pressure laboratory conditions. The results challenge assumptions based on ordinary conditions; they do not make these compounds alternatives to table salt.
Why can sodium and chlorine form something other than NaCl?
At everyday pressure, sodium chloride (NaCl) is the familiar stable compound: each formula unit has one sodium atom for each chlorine atom. That familiar ratio does not dictate which compositions can be stable under every possible condition. At high pressure, the balance of energy among different atomic arrangements can change, making unusual ratios thermodynamically stable.
Weiwei Zhang and colleagues reported this result in “Unexpected stable stoichiometries of sodium chlorides,” published in Science on 20 December 2013. The paper’s abstract says the experiments establish that compounds at odds with chemical intuition can be thermodynamically stable in simple systems under nonambient conditions. The article record and abstract are available through PubMed and the Science issue archive.
Which unusual sodium chlorides were predicted and made?
The team combined computer prediction with experiments. Its USPEX crystal-structure prediction code searched for stable structures at specified pressures and temperatures. The five nonstandard compositions reported as theoretically stable were Na3Cl, Na2Cl, Na3Cl2, NaCl3, and NaCl7. Prediction does not mean each compound was synthesized.
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| Composition | Sodium or chlorine rich? | What the study reports |
|---|---|---|
| Na3Cl | Sodium-rich | Predicted; a two-dimensional metallic tetragonal form was synthesized. |
| Na2Cl | Sodium-rich | Predicted as theoretically stable; synthesis is not reported in the cited summary. |
| Na3Cl2 | Sodium-rich | Predicted as theoretically stable; synthesis is not reported in the cited summary. |
| NaCl3 | Chlorine-rich | Predicted; cubic and orthorhombic forms were synthesized. |
| NaCl7 | Chlorine-rich | Predicted as theoretically stable; synthesis is not reported in the cited summary. |
How were the compounds synthesized?
In the experiments described by Chemistry World’s 19 December 2013 report, researchers placed materials in a diamond anvil cell, which compresses a small sample between diamond tips, then used laser heating. Excess chlorine was used to produce NaCl3; excess sodium was used for Na3Cl.
The report gives an experimental pressure range of 10–80 GPa. It describes two NaCl3 phases: one above 18 GPa and another beyond 54 GPa. It reports Na3Cl stable down to 20 GPa. These are reported laboratory conditions, not pressures at which the substances can be handled or stored in an ordinary environment. The report also says the predicted unusual stoichiometries were considered over theoretical pressures up to 250 GPa; that is a prediction range, not a claim that every composition was made throughout it.
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What does “breaking chemical rules” actually mean?
It means that familiar rules of thumb about bonding and composition do not describe every stable state of matter. Artem Oganov, quoted in Chemistry World, said: “Rules of chemistry as fundamental as charge balance and octet rules can break down at relatively moderate pressures.” In context, “moderate” is relative to the range of high-pressure experiments: the reported conditions are tens of gigapascals, far beyond ordinary pressure.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe finding is not that chemistry stopped applying or that sodium and chlorine can combine in arbitrary ratios. Rather, pressure changes which structures and compositions are energetically favored. The work illustrates why chemical behavior inferred from ambient conditions cannot always be generalized to extreme environments.
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Are these compounds useful as table salt?
No such use is established by the cited work. The reported compounds were studied as high-pressure materials, and their stability under those conditions does not establish stability at room pressure, safe handling, food suitability, or consumer availability. The study is evidence about unusual chemistry and material behavior, not a recipe for a different kind of edible salt.
Oganov also said, “States with unexpected chemistry that are then formed have multiple unusual properties that can be exploited.” That is a statement about potential, not proof of a particular practical application. Yanming Ma described high pressure as “a powerful tool in the synthesis of novel materials, violating conventional wisdom established at ambient pressure.” The cited 2013 sources do not establish later commercialization or current consumer uses.
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