Superhydrides, metal hydrides with high hydrogen content, are the class of materials with superconducting critical temperatures closest to room temperature. However, superconducting superhydrides are synthesized under ultrahigh pressures of several hundred thousand atmospheres or more, and their practical application under room-temperature and ambient-pressure conditions is limited by structural instability caused by hydrogen desorption.
 

To overcome these limitations, Professor Dong Won Chun's research team is developing a method for synthesizing superhydrides that remain stable even at room temperature and ambient pressure, using radiochemistry-based phase-locking technology for metastable metal hydrides. By extending this approach to Pd-H, La-H, and Y-H metal hydride systems, the team aims to develop superhydrides that remain structurally stable without hydrogen desorption even near room temperature and ambient pressure.
 

To this end, the team will establish organic solvent-based synthesis methods for oxidation-sensitive La- and Y-based materials and elucidate the correlations among the crystal structure, hydrogen content, and superconducting properties of candidate materials. The team will further develop a process based on large-area, high-energy systems to assess the feasibility of mass production.
 

This research represents a novel effort to fundamentally transform the existing paradigm of superconducting superhydride technology, which has relied on ultrahigh-pressure conditions. By establishing a fabrication process that enables metastable superhydrides to remain structurally stable at room temperature and ambient pressure, the research is expected to establish a core enabling technology for next-generation superconductors.