High pressure synthesis and the valence state of vanadium ions for the novel transition metal pernitride, CuAl2-type VN2

A novel transition metal pernitride, CuAl2-type VN2, has been synthesized at a pressure above 73.3 GPa. The bulk modulus has been determined to be K0 = 347(12) GPa. By hard X-ray absorption spectrum measurements of VN2, the valence state of transition metal ions in pernitrides has been for the first time experimentally reported.