Scientists have discovered new materials for electronics and batteries, disrupting traditional manufacturing methods

New “intermediate” phases: how stopping a reaction opens unique properties

Scientists from the University of Warwick and Birmingham proposed an unconventional approach to material synthesis. Instead of driving the reaction to completion, they interrupted it at an early stage, believing that new phases with unexpected properties might be hidden in this process. Their hypothesis proved correct.

What exactly was done?
During experiments, researchers worked on forming a stable form of bismuth vanadate (BiVO₄). With conventional heating of the starting reagents, a material with a wide band gap is obtained, which has long attracted attention as a catalyst for synthetic fuel and battery synthesis.

However, instead of completing the process, they stopped the heating much earlier. As a result, a new stable phase – β‑BiVO₄ – was produced.

Why is this important?
- Wide band gap: β‑BiVO₄ exhibits a significantly wider band gap than known BiVO₄ modifications. This changes how the material interacts with light and opens new possibilities for precisely tuning its optical and catalytic properties.

- Potential in photoelectrochemistry: Traditionally, BiVO₄ is viewed as a promising photoanode for “solar” fuel synthesis because it efficiently absorbs visible light and provides energy for water splitting to produce hydrogen. The new β phase, although not yet fully understood, expands the range of adjustable parameters in such systems.

- A new path to materials: Researchers call their method “searching for intermediate materials.” They have shown that interrupting reactions can lead to phases with more valuable properties than those obtained by completing the process.

How it works?
By controlling the heating temperature, precursor composition, and decomposition mechanism, one can deliberately obtain previously unknown phases of known compounds. This approach differs from conventional synthesis and opens new prospects for creating materials for solar energy, catalysis, and electronics.

Conclusion
Hidden materials may exist in many fields; they simply were not searched for. Stopping a reaction at an “intermediate” stage is now becoming a powerful tool for discovering new phases with unique properties.