TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preparation (Claimed): Preparation of (I) comprises: (a) providing a reactant precursor comprising the transition metal; (b) forming a solid metal compound via reacting the reactant precursor with a source of the first non-metal at a total pressure of less than 10 atmospheres and a temperature of 500-2000 degrees C; and (c) introducing a metal cation into the reactant precursor of step (a) or the solid metal compound of step (b), where the metal cation is introduced in the form of a metal or a cation in the presence of an anion or anionic group. Preferred Method: The step (a) comprises: reducing a precursor compound comprising the transition metal and the second non-metal in the presence of the first non-metal, where the precursor compound comprises a transition metal oxide or hydroxide; vapor decomposition of a transition metal amine or a transition metal hydroxy compound; and reacting a metallic powder comprising the transition metal with a source of the first non-metal. The step (b) occurs at a total pressure of less than 2 atmospheres and a temperature of 600-1500 degrees C. The step (c) comprises: doping of the crystalline lattice of the solid metal compound with the metal cation; and physically mixing the solid metal compound with a material comprising the metal cation. The step (b1) comprises reacting the solid reactant with steam at a pressure of less than 2 atmospheres and a temperature of 300-600 degrees C, where when the first non-metal is nitrogen, and the compound produced in step (b1) is ammonia or hydrazine, and when the first non-metal is carbon, and the compound produced in step (b1) is a hydrocarbon compound. The method of producing a compound further comprises (c1) regenerating the solid reactant material by reacting the spent reactant material with a gaseous compound comprising the first non-metal. The gaseous compound in step (c1) is: molecular nitrogen, where the molecular nitrogen is supplied in form of a gaseous mixture of molecular nitrogen and at least one gas comprising carbon monoxide, methane or hydrogen; or carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide, where the carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide is supplied diluted with hydrogen. The heat is introduced during step (c1). The heat introduced during steps (b), (b1) and (c1) is supplied via solar radiation. Preferred Components: The molar ratio of the first non-metal to the second non-metal in the reactant is 10-5 to 105. The source of the first non-metal comprises a member comprising nitrogen gas, carbon monoxide or 1-6C hydrocarbons. The solid reactant material is provided in the form of a powder or a pelletized form, and is loaded onto a support. Preferred Definitions:    A1 = alkali or alkaline earth metal cation which is present in the composition at a ratio of 10-6 to 5x 100 of mole A1 to mole M1, preferably K, Na or Ca;    E1 = oxide, superoxide, hydroxy or carbonate anions;    M1 = transition metal comprising group 4-9 transition metals or lanthanides, preferably Ce, Cr, Mo, W or Mn;    n = 0.25-1 relative to the molar concentration of M1; and    m = 1-3 relative to the molar concentration of M1, where n+m is c which is 0.1-30 relative to the molar concentration of M1 and constant.    EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.