The electronic structure of nanowires, nanotubes and thin films deposited on a substrate is varied by doping with electrons or holes. The electronic structure can then be tuned by varying the support material or by applying a gate voltage. The electronic structure can be controlled to absorb a gas, store a gas, or release a gas, such as hydrogen, oxygen, ammonia, carbon dioxide, and the like.

The invention related to a material that can stably hold an imide anion (NH.sup.2) therein even in the atmosphere or in a solvent, and a method for synthesizing the material and a use of the material. A mayenite-type compound into which imide anions are incorporated at a concentration of 110.sup.18 cm.sup.3 or more are provided. The mayenite-type compound can be produced by heating a mayenite-type compound including electrons or free oxygen ions in a cage thereof, in liquefied ammonia at 450 to 700 C. and at a pressure of 30 to 100 MPa. The compound has properties such that active imide anions can be easily incorporated into the compound and the active imide anions can be easily released in the form of ammonia from the compound, and the compound has chemical stability.

The disclosure relates to an ammonia storage structure in particular for the selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gases of combustion vehicles, including at least one storage material in which the ammonia can be stored, where the structure includes at least two different storage portions, each storage portion containing a storage material, and not all the storage materials of the different storage portions being identical. The disclosure also relates to an ammonia storage and removal system of a vehicle that includes a storage chamber, including such a storage structure. A selective catalytic reduction system for internal combustion engine exhaust gases, includes such an ammonia storage system and to a module for feeding ammonia into the exhaust gases.

A process for in situ thermal recovery of hydrocarbons from a reservoir is provided. The process includes: providing an oxygen-enriched mixture, fuel, feedwater and an additive including at least one of ammonia, urea and a volatile amine to a Direct-Contact Steam Generator (DCSG); operating the DCSG, including contacting the feedwater and the additive with hot combustion gas to obtain a steam-based mixture including steam, CO.sub.2 and the additive; injecting the steam-based mixture or a stream derived from the steam-based mixture into the reservoir to mobilize the hydrocarbons therein; and producing a produced fluid including the hydrocarbons.

A method for controlling the magnitude of mechanical forces exerted by a solid ammonia storage material on walls of a container: determining a mechanical-strength limit of the container in terms of a hydraulic pressure P.sub.LIMIT or force F.sub.LIMIT under which the walls of container do not undergo plastic deformation, or deformation of more than 200% of deformation at the yield point; using a correlation between a temperature T.sub.SAT for the ammonia saturation/resaturation process, and the hydraulic pressure P.sub.MAT, or F.sub.MAT generated by the storage material during saturation/resaturation, to identify a minimum temperature T.sub.SATMIN where P.sub.MAT, or F.sub.MAT is kept below the limit for the mechanical strength by carrying out the saturation/resaturation process at the temperature T.sub.SAT fulfilling the condition of T.sub.SATT.sub.SATMIN.

A particle filter for treating exhaust gases includes an SCR catalyst that, when in the presence of a reductant such as ammonia, promotes selective catalytic reduction of NO.sub.x; an active oxidation catalyst that promotes oxidation of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide; and an oxygen storage catalyst that alternately stores and releases oxygen, enhances soot oxidation, and stores NOx at temperatures below optimal SCR functioning. The particle filter may be included in a system having an oxidation catalytic device (OCD) upstream of the particle filter, and optionally includes one or more SCR converters upstream and/or downstream of the particle filter, and/or an ammonia slip catalyst downstream of the particle filter. The system may further be adapted for operation under a high frequency injection fuel control with an OCD having substantial NOx storage material content, or an NSC for improving the efficiency tradeoffs between soot oxidation during filter regeneration and NO.sub.x reduction.

A system for producing ammonia comprises a reactor configured for receiving nitrogen feed gas and hydrogen feed gas, the reactor comprising a catalyst configured to convert at least a portion of the nitrogen gas and at least a portion of the hydrogen feed gas to ammonia to form a reactant mixture comprising the ammonia and unreacted nitrogen feed gas and unreacted hydrogen feed gas, an adsorbent configured to selective adsorb at least a portion of the ammonia from the reactant mixture, and a recycle line to recycle the unreacted nitrogen feed gas, the unreacted hydrogen feed gas, and unabsorbed ammonia to the reactor.

Disclosed is a method for the selective catalytic reduction of NO.sub.x in waste/exhaust gas by using ammonia provides by heating one or more salts of formula M.sub.a(NH.sub.3).sub.nX.sub.z, wherein M represents one or more cations selected from alkaline earth metals and transition metals, X represents one or more anions, a represents the number of cations per salt molecule, z represents the number of anions per salt molecule, and n is a number of from 2 to 12, the one or more salts having been compressed to a bulk density above 70% of the skeleton density before use thereof.

A metal-containing film can be formed with high continuity with respect to a base when forming the metal-containing film on the base by CVD or ALD. A film forming method of forming, by ALD or CVD, a Ti-containing film on a base film of a processing target object having a SiO.sub.2 film as the base film includes performing a surface processing of accelerating formation of a silanol group on a surface of the SiO.sub.2 film by bringing a fluid containing O and H into contact with the surface of the SiO.sub.2 film; and performing a film forming processing of forming the Ti-containing film on the SiO.sub.2 film, on which the surface processing is performed, by the ALD or the CVD with a Ti source gas which reacts with the silanol group.

Ammonia storage structure, characterized in that it comprises an alternation:of at least one ammonia storage layer, andof at least one layer of a thermally conductive material of a thermal conductivity higher than that of the storage layer, the at least one layer of thermally conductive material being intended to increase heat transfers within the structure.