CRYSTAL STRUCTURES OF ALKALI-METAL - TRANSITION METAL COMPOUNDS SYNTHESIZED UNDER PRESSURE. J. V. Badding, L. J. Parker, T. Atou, Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802.

We have developed techniques to investigate the formation of compounds between alkali metals and transition metals under pressure using a laser-heated diamond anvil cell. We report the synthesis of compounds in the potassium-silver and potassium-nickel systems. The high pressure syntheses, the diffraction techniques used to characterize the products, and their crystal chemistry will be described. These results demonstrate that the chemical behavior of the alkali metals under pressure is very different from that at ambient conditions. Synthesis of potassium-nickel compounds has implications for the hypothesis that potassium is incorporated into Earth's transition metal core.