Unlocking the potential of anti-perovskites through a convenient one-step synthesis route

Although perovskites have attracted a lot of attention lately, anti-perovskites hold just as much potential as functional materials. Bearing a similar crystal structure to perovskites but with an inverted electrical configuration, anti-perovskites exhibit peculiar properties that could be exploited, including negative thermal expansion, ionic conductivity, and even superconductivity. Unfortunately, thus far, synthesizing nanosized anti-perovskites has proven difficult, which is holding back these promising materials in catalytic applications.