High-pressure crystal chemistry of binary intermetallic compounds

Effects of high pressure on intermetallic compounds are reviewed with regards to structural stability and phase transitions. Changes of bonding properties and electronic structure are examplified by means of the elemental metals caesium and titanium, the latter forming an internal intermetallic compound at high pressures. After a short systematic overview regarding pressure effects, structural transformations in selected classes of intermetallic compounds like Zintl phases and AIB(2)-type arrangements precedes sections concerning high-pressure synthesis of Laves phases and intermetallic clathrates.