Shape-Controlled First-Row Transition Metal Vanadates for Electrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.

Transition metal vanadates (MVs) possess abundant electroactive sites, short ion diffusion pathways, and optical properties that make them suitable for various electrochemical (EC) and photoelectrochemical (PEC) applications. While these materials are commonly used in energy storage devices like batteries and capacitors, their shape-controlled 1D and 2D morphologies have gained equal popularity in water splitting (WS) technology in recent times. This review focuses on recent progress made on various first-row (3d, 4 s) transition metal vanadates (t-MVs) having controlled one-dimensional (fiber, wire, or rod) and two-dimensional (layered or sheet) morphologies with a specific emphasis on copper vanadates (CuV), cobalt vanadates (CoV), iron vanadates (FeV), and nickel vanadates (NiV). The review covers different aspects of shape-controlled 1D and 2D t-MVs including optoelectrical properties, wet chemistry synthesis, and electrochemical (EC-WS) and photoelectrochemical water splitting (PEC-WS) performance in terms of onset potential, overpotential, and long-term stability or high cyclic performance. The review concludes by providing some possible thoughts on how to promote the water-splitting attributes of shape-controlled t-MVs more effectively.

Fast and Stable Zinc Anode-Based Electrochromic Displays Enabled by Bimetallically Doped Vanadate and Aqueous Zn2+/Na+ Hybrid Electrolytes.

Vanadates are a class of the most promising electrochromic materials for displays as their multicolor characteristics. However, the slow switching times and vanadate dissolution issues of recently reported vanadates significantly hinder their diverse practical applications. Herein, novel strategies are developed to design electrochemically stable vanadates having rapid switching times. We show that the interlayer spacing is greatly broadened by introducing sodium and lanthanum ions into V3O8 interlayers, which facilitates the transportation of cations and enhances the electrochemical kinetics. In addition, a hybrid Zn2+/Na+ electrolyte is designed to inhibit vanadate dissolution while significantly accelerating electrochemical kinetics. As a result, our electrochromic displays yield the most rapid switching times in comparison with any reported Zn-vanadate electrochromic displays. It is envisioned that stable vanadate-based electrochromic displays having video speed switching are appearing on the near horizon.

Preparation of Volborthite by a Facile Synthetic Chemical Solvent Extraction Method.

In this work, the extraction of vanadium (V) ions from an alkaline solution using a commercial quaternary ammonium salt and the production of metal vanadates through precipitation stripping were carried out. The crystallization of copper vanadates from the extracts was performed using a solution containing a copper(II) source in concentrated chloride media as a stripping agent. In an attempt to control growth, a stabilizing polymer (polyvinylpyrrolidone, PVP) was added to the stripping solution. The structural characteristics of the crystallized products, mainly copper pyrovanadate (volborthite, Cu3V2O7(OH)2·(H2O)2) nanoflakes and nanoflowers and the experimental parameter influencing the efficiency of the stripping process were studied. From the results, the synthesis of nanostructured vanadates is a simple and versatile method for the fabrication of valuable three-dimensional structures providing abundant active zones for energy and catalytic applications.

Mg2+ Ion Pre-Insertion Boosting Reaction Kinetics and Structural Stability of Ammonium Vanadates for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) attract much attention owing to their high safety, environmentally friendliness and low cost. However, the unsatisfactory performance of cathode materials is one of the unsolved important factors for their widespread application. Herein, we report NH4 V4 O10 nanorods with Mg2+ ion preinsertion (Mg-NHVO) as a high-performance cathode material for AZIBs. The preinserted Mg2+ ions effectively improve the reaction kinetics and structural stability of NH4 V4 O10 (NHVO), which are confirmed by electrochemical analysis and density functional theory calculations. Compared with pristine NHVO, the intrinsic conductivity of Mg-NHVO is improved by 5 times based on the test results of a single nanorod device. Besides, Mg-NHVO could maintain a high specific capacity of 152.3 mAh g-1 after 6000 cycles at the current density of 5 A g-1 , which is larger than that of NHVO (only exhibits a low specific capacity of 30.5 mAh g-1 at the same condition). Moreover, the two-phase crystal structure evolution process of Mg-NHVO in AZIBs is revealed. This work provides a simple and efficient method to improve the electrochemical performance of ammonium vanadates and enhances the understanding about the reaction mechanism of layered vanadium-based materials in AZIBs.

Correlation-Driven Topological Transition in Janus Two-Dimensional Vanadates.

The appearance of intrinsic ferromagnetism in 2D materials opens the possibility of investigating the interplay between magnetism and topology. The magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) describing the easy axis for magnetization in a particular direction is an important yardstick for nanoscale applications. Here, the first-principles approach is used to investigate the electronic band structures, the strain dependence of MAE in pristine VSi2Z4 (Z = P, As) and its Janus phase VSiGeP2As2 and the evolution of the topology as a function of the Coulomb interaction. In the Janus phase the compound presents a breaking of the mirror symmetry, which is equivalent to having an electric field, and the system can be piezoelectric. It is revealed that all three monolayers exhibit ferromagnetic ground state ordering, which is robust even under biaxial strains. A large value of coupling J is obtained, and this, together with the magnetocrystalline anisotropy, will produce a large critical temperature. We found an out-of-plane (in-plane) magnetization for VSi2P4 (VSi2As4), and an in-plane magnetization for VSiGeP2As2. Furthermore, we observed a correlation-driven topological transition in the Janus VSiGeP2As2. Our analysis of these emerging pristine and Janus-phased magnetic semiconductors opens prospects for studying the interplay between magnetism and topology in two-dimensional materials.

Electrochemical and Structural Characterization of Soft Landed Tungsten-Substituted Lindqvist Polyoxovanadate-Alkoxides.

Lindqvist polyoxovanadate-alkoxide (POV-alkoxide) clusters are excellent candidates for applications in energy storage and conversion due to their rich electrochemical profiles. One approach to tune the redox properties of these cluster complexes is through substitutional cationic doping within the hexavanadate core. Here, we report the synthesis of a series of tungsten-substituted POV-alkoxide clusters with one and two tungsten atoms. Soft landing of mass-selected ions was used to purify heterometal POV-alkoxides that cannot be readily separated using conventional approaches. The soft landed POV-alkoxides are characterized using infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The redox properties of the isolated ions are examined using an in situ electrochemical cell which enables traditional in vacuo electrochemical measurements inside of an ion soft landing instrument. Although the overall cluster core retains redox activity after tungsten doping, vanadium-based redox couples (VV /VIV ) are shifted substantially, indicating a pronounced effect of a heteroatom on the electronic structure of the core.

Precipitation Stripping of V(V) as a Novel Approach for the Preparation of Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Vanadates.

Cobalt, nickel, manganese and zinc vanadates were synthesized by a hydrometallurgical two-phase method. The extraction of vanadium (V) ions from alkaline solution using Aliquat® 336 was followed by the production of metal vanadates through precipitation stripping. Precipitation stripping was carried out using solutions of the corresponding metal ions (Ni (II), Co (II), Mn (II) and Zn (II), 0.05 mol/L in 4 mol/L NaCl), and the addition time of the strip solution was varied (0, 1 and 2 h). The time-dependent experiments showed a notable influence on the composition, structure, morphology and crystallinity of the two-dimensional vanadate products. Inspired by these findings, we selected two metallic vanadate products and studied their properties as alternative cathode materials for nonaqueous sodium and lithium metal batteries.

Tunable Carrier Transfer of Polymeric Carbon Nitride with Charge-Conducting CoV2O6∙2H2O for Photocatalytic O2 Evolution.

Photocatalytic water splitting is one of the promising approaches to solving environmental problems and energy crises. However, the sluggish 4e- transfer kinetics in water oxidation half-reaction restricts the 2e- reduction efficiency in photocatalytic water splitting. Herein, cobalt vanadate-decorated polymeric carbon nitride (named CoVO/PCN) was constructed to mediate the carrier kinetic process in a photocatalytic water oxidation reaction (WOR). The photocatalysts were well-characterized by various physicochemical techniques such as XRD, FT-IR, TEM, and XPS. Under UV and visible light irradiation, the O2 evolution rate of optimized 3 wt% CoVO/PCN reached 467 and 200 µmol h-1 g-1, which were about 6.5 and 5.9 times higher than that of PCN, respectively. Electrochemical tests and PL results reveal that the recombination of photogenerated carriers on PCN is effectively suppressed and the kinetics of WOR is significantly enhanced after CoVO introduction. This work highlights key features of the tuning carrier kinetics of PCN using charge-conducting materials, which should be the basis for the further development of photocatalytic O2 reactions.

The Influence of Defects on the Luminescence of Trivalent Terbium in Nanocrystalline Yttrium Orthovanadate.

Terbium-doped YVO4 has been considered a nonluminescent solid since the first classic studies on rare-earth-doped phosphors in the 1960s. However, we demonstrate that defect engineering of YVO4:Tb3+ nanoparticles overcomes the metal-metal charge transfer (MMCT) process which is responsible for the quenching of the Tb3+ luminescence. Tetragonal (Y1-xTbx)VO4 nanoparticles obtained by colloidal precipitation showed expanded unit cells, high defect densities, and intimately mixed carbonates and hydroxides, which contribute to a shift of the MMCT states to higher energies. Consequently, we demonstrate unambiguously for the first time that Tb3+ luminescence can be excited by VO43- → Tb3+ energy transfer and by direct population of the 5D4 state in YVO4. We also discuss how thermal treatment removes these effects and shifts the quenching MMCT state to lower energies, thus highlighting the major consequences of defect density and microstructure in nanosized phosphors. Therefore, our findings ultimately show nanostructured YVO4:Tb3+ can be reclassified as a UV-excitable luminescent material.

Syntheses and crystal structures of new naphthalene- and anthracene-vanadate salts and an unprecedented dimetallabis(anthracene) sandwich complex: [Na(tetrahydrofuran)3][V2(anthracene)2].

Reduction of bis(naphthalene)vanadium(0) by potassium naphthalene (KNp) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) provides a highly reactive, thermolabile, and so far unisolable brown substance, which affords the first reported derivatives of bis(naphthalene)vanadates. From these solutions, thermally stable (298 K) and structurally characterized compounds have been obtained, including dark-red rods of catena-poly[bis(µ3-η4:η6:η4-naphthalene)tetrakis(tetrahydrofuran)dipotassiumvanadium], [K2V(C4H8O)4(C10H8)2]n or [K(THF)2]2[V(C10H8)2] (3), and red plates of (4,7,13,16,21,24-hexaoxa-1,10-diazabicyclo[8.8.8]hexacosane)potassium [1,2-bis(dimethylphosphanyl)ethane]bis(η4-naphthalene)vanadium tetrahydrofuran monosolvate, [K(C18H36N2O6)][V(C10H8)2(C6H16P2)]·C4H8O or [K([2.2.2]cryptand)][V(C10H8)2(dmpe)]·THF [dmpe is 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphanyl)ethane] (4b). Notably, [V(C10H8)2]2- is the only example of a structurally authenticated homoleptic bis(arene)metallate dianion and was obtained by further reduction of the brown material by KNp in THF, in the presence of trimethylphosphane (PMe3). Addition of anthracene (An) to the brown material in THF afforded deep-violet and paramagnetic crystalline (1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaoxacyclooctadecane)bis(tetrahydrofuran)potassium [(η4-anthracene)(tetrahydrofuran)vanadium]-µ-η4:η2-anthracene-[(1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaoxacyclooctadecane)potassium]-µ-η2:η4-anthracene-[(η4-anthracene)(tetrahydrofuran)vanadium] tetrahydrofuran disolvate, [K(C12H24O6)(C4H8O)2][KV2(C12H24O6)(C4H8O)2(C14H10)4]·2C4H8O or [K(18-crown-6)][K(18-crown-6)(THF)2][V(C14H10)2(THF)]2·2(THF) (5), which readily reacted with PMe3 and dmpe to give new vanadate salts. These were structurally characterized as (1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaoxacyclooctadecane)bis(tetrahydrofuran)potassium bis(η4-anthracene)(trimethylphosphane)vanadium tetrahydrofuran monosolvate, [K(C12H24O6)(C4H8O)2][V(C14H10)2(C3H9P)]·C4H8O or [K(18-crown-6)(THF)2][V(C14H10)2(PMe3)]·THF (6), and tetrakis(1,2-dimethoxyethane)potassium bis(η4-anthracene)[1,2-bis(dimethylphosphanyl)ethane]vanadium, [K(C4H10O2)4][V(C14H10)2(C6H16P2)] or [K(DME)4][V(C14H10)2(dmpe)] (DME is 1,2-dimethoxyethane) (7b). The last three structures contain the first known bis(anthracene)vanadates and are thereby derivatives of the unknown bis(anthracene)vanadium(0). Attempts to obtain the sodium salt analog of 5 in THF resulted instead in the formation of a unique substance, (µ3-η6:η6:η6-anthracene)(µ2-η6:η6-anthracene)tris(tetrahydrofuran)sodiumdivanadium, [NaV2(C14H10)2(C4H8O)3] or [Na(THF)3][V2(C14H10)2] (8), containing the first reported dimetallabis(anthracene) sandwich compound.

Assembling and Regulating of Transition Metal-Based Heterophase Vanadates as Efficient Oxygen Evolution Catalysts.

Developing efficient, durable, and low-cost earth-abundant elements-based oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts by rapid and scalable strategies is of great importance for future sustainable electrochemical hydrogen production. The earth-abundant high-valency metals, especially vanadium, can modulate the electronic structure of 3d metal oxides and oxyhydroxides and offer the active sites near-optimal adsorption energies for OER intermediates. Here, the authors propose a facile assembling and regulating strategy to controllably synthesize a serial of transition metal (CoFe, NiFe, and NiCo)-based vanadates for efficient OER catalysis. By tuning the reaction concentrations, NiFe-based vanadates with different crystallinities can be facilely regulated, where the catalyst with moderate heterophase (mixed crystalline and amorphous structures) shows the best OER catalytic activity in terms of low overpotential (267 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm-2 ), low Tafel slope (38 mV per decade), and excellent long-term durability in alkaline electrolyte, exceeding its noble metal-based counterparts (RuO2 ) and most current existing OER catalysts. This work not only reports a facile and controllable method to synthesize a series of vanadates-based catalysts with heterophase nanostructures for high-performance OER catalysis, but also may expand the scope of designing cost-effective transition metal-based electrocatalysts for water splitting.

Synthesis and Characterization of Magnesium Vanadates as Potential Magnesium-Ion Cathode Materials through an Ab†Initio Guided Carbothermal Reduction Approach.

Many technologically relevant materials for advanced energy storage and catalysis feature reduced transition-metal (TM) oxides that are often nontrivial to prepare because of the need to control the reducing nature of the atmosphere in which they are synthesized. Herein, we show that an ab initio predictive synthesis strategy can be used to produce multi-gram-scale products of various MgVx Oy -type phases (δ-MgV2 O5 , spinel MgV2 O4 , and MgVO3 ) containing V3+ or V4+ relevant for Mg-ion battery cathodes. Characterization of these phases using 25 Mg solid-state NMR spectroscopy illustrates the potential of 25 Mg NMR for studying reversible magnesiation and local charge distributions. Rotor-assisted population transfer (RAPT) is used as a much-needed signal-to-noise enhancement technique. The ab initio guided synthesis method is seen as a step forward towards a predictive synthesis strategy for targeting specific complex TM oxides with variable oxidation states of technological importance.

Lattice dynamics of zircon-type NdVO4and scheelite-type PrVO4under high-pressure.

Zircon-type NdVO4and scheelite-type PrVO4have been studied by means of Raman spectroscopy up to approximately 20 GPa. In the first compound, zircon-scheelite and scheelite-fergusonite phase transitions are reported at 6.4(3) and 19.6(4) GPa, respectively. In the case of scheelite-type PrVO4, a reversible phase transition to a PbWO4-III structure is observed at 16.8(5) GPa. In both cases, a scheelite-type structure is recovered in a metastable state at low pressures. The pressure evolution of the Raman modes is also reported. Our experimental findings are supported byab initiocalculations, which allowed us to discuss the role of mechanic and dynamical instabilities in the phase transition mechanisms.

Host-Guest Complexation Between Cyclodextrins and Hybrid Hexavanadates: What are the Driving Forces?

Host-guest complexes between native cyclodextrins (α-, ß- and γ-CD) and hybrid Lindqvist-type polyoxovanadates (POVs) [V6 O13 ((OCH2 )3 C-R)2 ]2- with R = CH2 CH3 , NO2 , CH2 OH and NH(BOC) (BOC = N-tert-butoxycarbonyl) were studied in aqueous solution. Six crystal structures determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the nature of the functional R group strongly influences the host-guest conformation and also the crystal packing. In all systems isolated in the solid-state, the organic groups R are embedded within the cyclodextrin cavities, involving only a few weak supramolecular contacts. The interaction between hybrid POVs and the macrocyclic organic hosts have been deeply studied in solution using ITC, cyclic voltammetry and NMR methods (1D 1 H NMR, and 2D DOSY, and ROESY). This set of complementary techniques provides clear insights about the strength of interactions and the binding host-guest modes occurring in aqueous solution, highlighting a dramatic influence of the functional group R on the supramolecular properties of the hexavanadate polyoxoanions (association constant K1:1 vary from 0 to 2 000 M-1 ) while isolated functional organic groups exhibit only very weak intrinsic affinity with CDs. Electrochemical and calorimetric investigations suggest that the driving force of the host-guest association involving larger CDs (ß- and γ-CD) is mainly related to the chaotropic effect. In contrast, the hydrophobic effect supported by weak attractive forces appears as the main contributor for the formation of α-CD-containing host-guest complexes. In any cases, the origin of driving forces is clearly related to the ability of the macrocyclic host to desolvate the exposed moieties of the hybrid POVs.

A Congruent-Melting Mid-Infrared Nonlinear Optical Vanadate Exhibiting Strong Second-Harmonic Generation.

Study of mid-infrared (mid-IR) nonlinear optical (NLO) materials is hindered by the competing requirements of optimized second-harmonic generation (SHG) coefficient dij and laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) as well as the harsh synthetic conditions. Herein, we report facile hydrothermal synthesis of a polar NLO vanadate Cs4 V8 O22 (CVO) featuring a quasi-rigid honeycomb-layered structure with [VO4 ] and [VO5 ] polyhedra aligned parallel. CVO possesses a wide IR-transparent window, high LIDT, and congruent-melting behavior. It has very strong phase-matchable SHG intensities in metal vanadate family (12.0 × KDP @ 1064 nm and 2.2 × AGS @ 2100 nm). First-principles calculations suggest that the exceptional SHG responses of CVO largely originate from virtual electronic transitions within [V4 O11 ]∞ layer; the excellent optical transmittance of CVO arises from the special characteristics of vibrational phonons resulting from the layered structure.

Rational Synthesis of "Grape-like" Ni2 V2 O7 Microspheres as High-capacity Anodes for Rechargeable Lithium Batteries.

Vanadates have received booming attention recently as promising materials for extensive electrochemical devices such as batteries and electrocatalysis. However, the enormous difficulties of achieving pure-phase transition metal vanadates, especially for nickel-based, hinder their exploitations. Herein, for the first time, by controlling the amount of ethylene glycol (EG) and reaction time, grape-like Ni2 V2 O7 (or V2 O5 /Ni2 V2 O7 ) microspheres were rationally fabricated. It is demonstrated that the EG can chelate both Ni2+ and VO3 - to form organometallic precursors. As anode in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), it could deliver superior reversible capacity of 1050 mAh/g at 0.1 A/g and excellent rate capability of 600 mAh/g at 4 A/g. The facile hydrothermal synthesis broadens the material variety of nickel vanadates and offers new opportunities for their wider applications in electrochemistry.

Metal-Organic Framework-Derived Co3 V2 O8 @CuV2 O6 Hybrid Architecture as a Multifunctional Binder-Free Electrode for Li-Ion Batteries and Hybrid Supercapacitors.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising materials in diverse fields because of their constructive traits of varied structural topologies, high porosity, and high surface area. MOFs are also an ideal precursor/template to derive porous and functional morphologies. Herein, Co3 V2 O8 nanohexagonal prisms are grafted on CuV2 O6 nanorod arrays (CuV-CoV)-grown copper foam (CF) using solution-processing methods, followed by thermal treatment. Direct preparation of active material on CF can potentially eliminate electrochemically inactive and non-conductive binders, leading to improved charge-transfer rate. Furthermore, solution-processing methods are simple and cost-effective. Owing to versatile valence states and good redox activity, the vanadium-incorporated mixed metal oxides (CuV-CoV) exhibited superior electrochemical performance in lithium (Li)-ion battery and supercapacitor (SC) studies. Furthermore, hollow carbon particles (HCPs) derived from MOF particles (MOF-HCPs) are used as the anode material in SCs. A hybrid SC (HSC) fabricated with CuV-CoV and MOF-HCP materials exhibited noteworthy electrochemical properties. Moreover, a solid-state HSC (SSHSC) is constructed and its real-time feasibility is investigated by harvesting the dynamic energy of a bicycle with the help of a direct current generator. The charged SSHSCs potentially powered various electronic components.

Graphene Matrix Sheathed Metal Vanadate Porous Nanospheres for Enhanced Longevity and High-Rate Energy Storage Devices.

Rational design of anode materials comprising rich benefits of high capacity, superior rate capability, and exalted lifetime is of considerable significance in the progress of high-performance Li-ion batteries (LIBs) and supercapatteries. Herein, highly porous cobalt vanadate (Co2VO4) nanospheres encapsulated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets (rGO@CoV PNSs) were prepared by a facile hydrothermal method and employed as a hybrid composite-based anode material for energy storage devices. The nanocavities and porous features of CoV nanospheres, and the laminated rGO nanosheets over CoV PNSs can significantly surpass the volume changes and enhance the surface electrokinetics, respectively. With benefits of rich redox activity and constructive traits, the rGO@CoV PNSs as an electrode material in LIBs exhibited superior reversible capacity of 780.6 mAh/g after 100 cycles with remarkable rate performance. Moreover, the hybrid composite displayed an excellent reversible capacity of 531.8 mAh/g even after 1000 cycles performed at 1000 mA/g. Utilizing the synergistic features, the rGO@CoV PNSs composite was also explored as a battery-type electrode for supercapatteries. The fabricated supercapattery device with rGO@CoV PNSs and rGO demonstrated good rate performance including superior areal energy (0.048 mWh/cm2) and power (9.96 mW/cm2) densities. Therefore, the graphene sheathed metal vanadates would be an ultrahigh rate electrode candidates for energy storage devices.

Rechargeable Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries in MgSO4/ZnSO4 Hybrid Electrolytes.

MgSO4 is chosen as an additive to address the capacity fading issue in the rechargeable zinc-ion battery system of MgxV2O5·nH2O//ZnSO4//zinc. Electrolytes with different concentration ratios of ZnSO4 and MgSO4 are investigated. The batteries measured in the 1 M ZnSO4-1 M MgSO4 electrolyte outplay other competitors, which deliver a high specific capacity of 374 mAh g-1 at a current density of 100 mA g-1 and exhibit a competitive rate performance with the reversible capacity of 175 mAh g-1 at 5 A g-1. This study provides a promising route to improve the performance of vanadium-based cathodes for aqueous zinc-ion batteries with electrolyte optimization in cost-effective electrolytes.

Tailoring the Size and Shape-New Path for Ammonium Metavanadate Synthesis.

Ammonium metavanadate, NH4VO3, plays an important role in the preparation of vanadium oxides and other ammonium compounds, such as NH4V3O8, (NH4)2V3O8, and NH4V4O10, which were found to possess interesting electrochemical properties. In this work, a new route for the synthesis of NH4VO3 is proposed by mixing an organic ammonium salt and V2O5 in a suitable solvent. The one-step procedure is carried out at room temperature. Additionally, the need for pH control and use of oxidants necessary in known methods is eliminated. The mechanism of the NH4VO3 formation is explained. It is presented that it is possible to tailor the morphology and size of the obtained NH4VO3 crystals, depending on the combination of reagents. Nano- and microcrystals of NH4VO3 are obtained and used as precursors in the hydrothermal synthesis of higher ammonium vanadates. It is proven that the size of the precursor particles can significantly affect the physical and chemical properties of the resulting products.