The substitution of Re into Bi
2O
3 allows stabilization of the
-Bi
2O
3 structure by additional substitution of any lanthanide ion to give, for example, phases of composition Bi
12.5La
1.5ReO
24.5. Some of these phases have been found to show exceptionally high oxide ion conductivity at low temperatures,
ca 10
-3 S cm
-1 at 300
C. The phases show a significant structural difference from other
-Bi
2O
3 phases previously reported, with interstitial anion sites displaced further from the ideal fluorite position, (
1/
4,
1/
4,
1/
4).