Unplanned discovery could lead to future pivotal discoveries in batteries, fuel cells, devices for converting heat to electricity and more.
Scientists normally conduct their research by carefully selecting a research problem, devising an appropriate plan to solve it and executing that plan. But unplanned discoveries can happen along the way.
Mercouri Kanatzidis, professor at 
Four-layer atomic structure of α-KAg3Se2, a 2D superionic conductor. The colors of the atoms are coordinated with the colors in the name. Credit: Image by Mercouri Kanatzidis/Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory
The team’s first clue that they had discovered a material with special properties was when they heated it up to between 450 and 600 degrees