A
room-temperature superconductor is a
hypothetical material that would be capable of exhibiting
superconductivity at
operating temperatures above 0°
C (273.15
K). While this is not strictly "room temperature", which would be approximately 20–25 °C, it is the temperature at which ice forms and can be reached and easily maintained in an everyday environment. The highest temperature known superconducting material is
hydrogen sulfide, whose
critical temperature reaches 203 K (-70 °C) the highest accepted superconducting critical temperature as of 2015. By substituting a small part of sulfur with phosphorus and using even higher pressures, it has been predicted that it may be possible to raise the critical temperature to above 0 °C and achieve room-temperature superconductivity. Previously the record was held by the cuprates, which have demonstrated superconductivity at
atmospheric pressure at temperatures as high as -135 °C (138 K) and -109 °C (164 K) under high pressure.