In the branch dedicated to solid state chemistry, Werner Urland et al. synthesized and characterized structurally, by X-Ray crystallography, several lanthanide-chalcogenide systems with unusual anionic structures, such as PrSe, PrSe, CeSe  NdSe   or more complex compositions, such as chalcogenide-silicates like  NdSeSiO like MX [SiO] (M = Ce - Er; X = S, Se)  The crystal structures of prototypic chalcogenides of trivalent lanthanides, like LnSe (Ln=Sm, Tb, Ho) were resolved., treating also their polymorphic manifestations   and the electronic structure.
Other solid phase systems such as lanthanide aluminium halides, LnAlX (with Ln = lanthanide trivalent ions in the La-Ho series and X= Cl, Br)  were considered as synthetic and structural problems.
Another area of Werner Urland's research was contoured around the special properties of condensed systems, such as superconductivity of mixed oxide compounds, 
or ionic conductivity and dynamics of  sodium and lanthanide ions in crystals like Na/Ln-ß"-AlO  
The same systems received attention also in the respect of their magnetic properties, in relation with the determinant structural factors. 
Among other approached special properties, one may mention the treatment of bipolaron absorption in BaKBiO  and   BaKBiO   materials.