Origin of the reaction temperature in solid-state materials synthesis
Abstract
Temperature plays a crucial role in solid-state materials synthesis, but there is currently no mechanistic theory to explain or predict which temperature is best to conduct a solid-state reaction. Reactions between powder precursors are conventionally assumed to be slow diffusion-limited processes; however, recent in situ experiments show that solid-state reactions can complete in minutes above a critical onset temperature. Here, we present evidence that a transient liquid phase forms above the metastable eutectic temperature, and that this non-equilibrium liquid serves as a fast diffusion medium to intermix precursors and initiate a solid-state reaction. This thermodynamic principle is agnostic to the structure or chemistry of the reactants, and can be applied towards the synthesis and manufacturing of a wide range of complex materials.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2607.06685,
title = {Origin of the reaction temperature in solid-state materials synthesis},
author = {Shibo Tan and Gabrielle E. Kamm and Alex Stangel and Paul Chao and Alexander Mensah and Varun Srinivas Venkatesh and Eymana Maria and Nishkarsh Agarwal and Woohyeon Baek and John Ferrari and Katsuyo Thornton and Ashwin Shahani and Robert Hovden and Karena W. Chapman and Wenhao Sun},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2607.06685},
year = {2026}
}