Researchers at the universities of Warwick and Birmingham have identified previously hidden material phases formed during heating, including a new bismuth vanadate structure and a lithium-storing compound that could improve solar-fuel and battery technologies.
The study, reported October 9, examined what happens between a molecular starting material and its final solid product—stages that are often missed in conventional materials research. The team used specially designed “single-source precursors” containing the elements needed to form the target compounds, then tracked their transformation as temperatures rose. Their analysis revealed several short-lived amorphous and crystalline phases, including a previously unknown, kinetically stabilized form of bismuth vanadate called β-BiVO₄.
Unlike familiar forms of BiVO₄, the new material has a different atomic arrangement and a substantially larger band gap, changing how it interacts with light. That could provide new ways to tune materials used to split water and produce hydrogen, as well as in catalysis and electronics. Another intermediate phase demonstrated a strong ability to store lithium, suggesting possible use in next-generation rechargeable batteries.
The researchers said the findings show that intermediate materials are not merely temporary steps but may be valuable compounds that can be deliberately created and stabilized.