Solid-state transitions and chemical reactions at high pressure

The connection of the reaction mechanisms in solids at high pressure with crystal structure of the materials is discussed analyzing as study cases the amorphization of benzene, the chemical dimerization and polymerization of crystalline butadiene and polymerization of crystal ethylene. The effect; of high pressure on the electronic structure of the molecules is also analyzed and the methods for studying phase transformation,, at high pressure are discussed.