Researchers from the universities of Warwick and Birmingham have discovered a technique that involves stopping chemical processes before they finish. By applying this method to bismuth vanadate (BiVO₄), they managed to isolate a stable phase called β-BiVO₄, a material with potential for electronics and batteries.
The trick of leaving the reaction halfway 🧪
The team interrupted the synthesis of BiVO₄ at an intermediate stage, preventing the reaction from reaching the usual final product. This blockage allowed them to stabilize a different crystalline structure, β-BiVO₄, which had not been isolated before. Analyses show that this phase possesses distinct electronic and catalytic properties, opening new avenues for its use in the production of synthetic fuels and energy storage.
Don't finish what you start, says science 🔬
It seems that science is finally giving us right, those of us who leave projects half-finished. While we accumulate half-assembled boxes in the garage, these researchers stop chemical reactions and discover materials. The difference is that they publish in scientific journals and we just accumulate dust. That said, at least now we have a more solid excuse for our next abandoned project.