Hydrides are created by combining rare earth metals with hydrogen, then adding nitrogen or carbon. In recent years, they offered scientists a tantalizing “working recipe” for creating superconducting materials.
Technically speaking, rare earth metal hydrides take the form of cage-like structures called clathrates, where the rare earth metal ions serve as carrier donors and supply enough electrons to promote the dissociation of the H2 molecules. Carbon and nitrogen aid in material stabilization. The bottom line is that superconductivity can occur at lower pressures.
Scientists have also employed additional rare earth metals besides yttrium. Yet, the resultant compounds turn superconductive at pressures or temperatures that are still impractical for applications.
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