Provided is a process for producing prelithiated particles of an anode active material for a lithium battery. The process comprises: (a) providing a lithiating chamber having at least one inlet and at least one outlet; (b) feeding a plurality of particles of an anode active material, lithium metal particles, and an electrolyte solution (containing a lithium salt dissolved in a liquid solvent) into the lithiating chamber through at least one inlet, concurrently or sequentially, to form a reacting mixture; (c) moving this reacting mixture toward the outlet at a rate sufficient for inserting a desired amount of lithium into the anode active material particles to form a slurry of prelithiated particles dispersed in the electrolyte solution; and (d) discharging the slurry out of the lithiating chamber through the at least one outlet.

The present invention provides a process for in-situ preparation of metal oxide(s) comprising the step of precipitating a metal salt solution with Fehling's reagent B and glucose at a suitable temperature. The metal oxide(s) prepared according to the present invention can be used for diverse applications including their utility as catalyst(s) in one or more reactions. The present invention further provides a highly selective bi-functional hybrid catalyst for direct conversion of syn-gas to dimethyl ether (DME) and methods of preparation thereof. The one or more metal oxide(s) can be directly obtained from the metal precursors following the method(s) of the present invention instead of metal hydroxides as in conventional known methods, thereby eliminating the necessity of high temperature calcination step(s) and rigorous reduction procedure(s).

The present invention provides a process for in-situ preparation of metal oxide(s) comprising the step of precipitating a metal salt solution with Fehling's reagent B and glucose at a suitable temperature. The metal oxide(s) prepared according to the present invention can be used for diverse applications including their utility as catalyst(s) in one or more reactions. The present invention further provides a highly selective bi-functional hybrid catalyst for direct conversion of syn-gas to dimethyl ether (DME) and methods of preparation thereof. The one or more metal oxide(s) can be directly obtained from the metal precursors following the method(s) of the present invention instead of metal hydroxides as in conventional known methods, thereby eliminating the necessity of high temperature calcination step(s) and rigorous reduction procedure(s).

In accordance with, the present invention, there is provided an antimicrobial composition comprising an aqueous solution containing copper and/or zinc ions, optionally a hydroxide salt, and phosphorous acid. The composition, is additionally sporicidal and scleroticidal when combined with a salt of nitrous acid such as sodium nitrite. The present invention may also include chemicals containing the phosphite or phosphonaie group (PO/l which can inhibit the formation of scierotia at concentrations that are readily achievable for agricultural applications. Compositions of the present invention, inhibit, scierotia formation by fungi and may therefore be used in the field to prevent the continuation and advancement of pathogenie fungi.

The present invention provides a composition including a particle, the particle includes a carbonate species of a first divalent metal and carbonate specie of a second divalent metal; wherein the particle is amorphous; wherein the first divalent metal and the second divalent metal are in an oxidation state of +2; and wherein the first divalent metal and the second divalent metal is each independently selected from: Ca, Zn, Fe, Cu, Co, Ni, Mn, Mg and Cr. Further provided is a composition including a divalent metal carbonate including any derivative thereof, and at least one stabilizing agent, wherein the divalent metal is selected from: Zn, Cu, Co, Mn, Mg, and Ni, optionally being characterized by BET between 20 and 200 m.sup.2/g. Pharmaceutical or nutraceutical compositions including the composition of particles disclosed, are also provided.

The present invention provides a composition including a particle, the particle includes a carbonate species of a first divalent metal and carbonate specie of a second divalent metal; wherein the particle is amorphous; wherein the first divalent metal and the second divalent metal are in an oxidation state of +2; and wherein the first divalent metal and the second divalent metal is each independently selected from: Ca, Zn, Fe, Cu, Co, Ni, Mn, Mg and Cr. Further provided is a composition including a divalent metal carbonate including any derivative thereof, and at least one stabilizing agent, wherein the divalent metal is selected from: Zn, Cu, Co, Mn, Mg, and Ni, optionally being characterized by BET between 20 and 200 m.sup.2/g. Pharmaceutical or nutraceutical compositions including the composition of particles disclosed, are also provided.

Disclosed is an inorganic composition which is useful as a base for pharmaceuticals and has excellent stability, and a method for producing the inorganic composition. The inorganic composition contains at least one compound selected from the group consisting of zinc sulfate, zinc chloride, zinc carbonate, zinc hydroxide, and zinc oxide, and has a pH of 7.2 or higher but lower than 8.3. After a dissolution test of the inorganic composition performed by a stirring method, the amount of Zn2* ions released therefrom is 0.1 pg/m2 or larger. This inorganic composition has the excellent property of gradually releasing zinc ions which makes the inorganic composition usable as a base for pharmaceuticals.

Single crystals of a new noncentrosymmetric polar oxysulfide SrZn.sub.2S.sub.2O (s.g. Pmn2.sub.1) grown in a eutectic KFKCl flux with unusual wurtzite-like slabs consisting of close-packed corrugated double layers of ZnS.sub.3O tetrahedra vertically separated from each other by Sr atoms and methods of making same.

Ferrite films, antennas including ferrite films, and methods of making thereof are provided. The methods can include tape casting of a slurry to produce a green film, wherein the slurry includes a ferrite powder, a dispersant, and a binder in a suitable solvent; and densifying the green film to produce the ferrite film having a thickness of 50 m to 5 mm. The methods can be used to make large area films, for example the films can have a lateral area of about 1000 cm.sup.2 to 3000 cm.sup.2. VHF/UHF antennas are including the ferrite films are also provided.

A method of preparing a transparent zinc carbonate is disclosed. The method includes dissolving a zinc source in aqueous ammonium carbonate, removing metal impurities from the solution, injecting CO.sub.2 into the zinc ammonia carbonate solution, heating a resulting slurry to a temperature of about 100 C. or more until the ammonia is substantially absent from the solution, and drying the resulting zinc carbonate at a temperature from around 150 C. to 300 C. for a length of time that removes water, but retains a significant part of the CO.sub.2 content. The ammonia and the carbon dioxide are present in the aqueous solution in a ratio by moles or by weight effective to dissolve the zinc. A nano zinc oxide can be prepared by drying the zinc carbonate at a temperature of 300-400 C. for a length of time sufficient to remove substantially all of the CO.sub.2.