Titanium dioxide and an electro-conductive titanium oxide which each includes particles having a large major-axis length in a large proportion and comprises columnar particles having a satisfactory particle size distribution. A titanium compound, an alkali metal compound, and an oxyphosphorus compound are heated/fired in the presence of titanium dioxide nucleus crystals having an aspect ratio of 2 or higher to grow the titanium dioxide nucleus crystals. Subsequently, a titanium compound, an alkali metal compound, and an oxyphosphorus compound are further added and heated/fired in the presence of the grown titanium dioxide nucleus crystals. Thus, titanium dioxide is produced which comprises columnar particles having a weight-average major-axis length of 7.0-15.0 μm and in which particles having a major-axis length of 10 μm or longer account for 15 wt. % or more of all the particles. A solution of a tin compound and a solution of compounds of antimony, phosphorus, etc. are added to a suspension obtained by suspending the titanium dioxide. The particles are sedimented. Subsequently, the product obtained is heated/fired to produce an electro-conductive titanium oxide which comprises the titanium dioxide and an electro-conductive coating formed on the surface thereof.

Titanium dioxide and an electro-conductive titanium oxide which each includes particles having a large major-axis length in a large proportion and comprises columnar particles having a satisfactory particle size distribution. A titanium compound, an alkali metal compound, and an oxyphosphorus compound are heated/fired in the presence of titanium dioxide nucleus crystals having an aspect ratio of 2 or higher to grow the titanium dioxide nucleus crystals. Subsequently, a titanium compound, an alkali metal compound, and an oxyphosphorus compound are further added and heated/fired in the presence of the grown titanium dioxide nucleus crystals. Thus, titanium dioxide is produced which comprises columnar particles having a weight-average major-axis length of 7.0-15.0 μm and in which particles having a major-axis length of 10 μm or longer account for 15 wt. % or more of all the particles. A solution of a tin compound and a solution of compounds of antimony, phosphorus, etc. are added to a suspension obtained by suspending the titanium dioxide. The particles are sedimented. Subsequently, the product obtained is heated/fired to produce an electro-conductive titanium oxide which comprises the titanium dioxide and an electro-conductive coating formed on the surface thereof.

Disclosed is a visible light responsive photocatalyst that simultaneously realizes high crystallinity and refinement of primary particles. Also disclosed is a photocatalyst composed of secondary particles that have a high porosity and are aggregates of fine primary particles. Rhodium-doped strontium titanate that is a visible light responsive photocatalyst of the present invention has a primary particle diameter of not more than 70 nm and has a absorbance at a wavelength of 570 nm of not less than 0.6 and a absorbance at a wavelength of 1800 nm of not more than 0.7, each absorbance determining by measuring a diffuse reflection spectrum, the rhodium-doped strontium titanate having a high water-splitting activity as a photocatalyst.

An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a method of producing metal compound particle group for an electricity storage device electrode that has an improved rate characteristic, the metal compound particle group, and an electrode formed of the metal compound particle group. The method of producing metal compound particle group applied for an electrode of an electricity storage device, the method includes a step of combining a precursor of metal compound particle with a carbon source to obtain a first composite material, a step of producing the metal compound particle by heat processing the first composite material under a non-oxidizing atmosphere to obtain a second composite material having the metal compound particle combined with carbon, and a step of eliminating carbon by heat processing the second composite material under an oxygen atmosphere to obtain the metal compound particle group having the metal compound particle coupled in a three-dimensional mesh structure.

A producing method of a solution that contains lithium, at least one of a niobium complex and a titanium complex, and ammonia, wherein an amount of the ammonia in the solution is 0.3 mass % or less. The solution is suitable for forming a coating layer capable of improving battery characteristics of an active material in a battery.

A silicon nanoparticle-containing hydrogen polysilsesquioxane sintered product-metal oxide complex comprising a silicon nanoparticle-containing hydrogen polysilsesquioxane sintered product and a metal oxide, wherein the silicon nanoparticle-containing hydrogen polysilsesquioxane sintered product contains 5 wt % to 95 wt % of silicon nanoparticles having a volume-based mean particle size of more than 10 nm but less than 500 nm, and a hydrogen polysilsesquioxane-derived silicon oxide structure that coats the silicon nanoparticles and is chemically bonded to the surfaces of the silicon nanoparticles. The silicon nanoparticle-containing hydrogen polysilsesquioxane sintered product is represented by the general formula SiO.sub.xH.sub.y (0.01<x<1.35, 0<y<0.35) and has Si—H bonds. The metal oxide consists of one or more metals selected from titanium, zinc, zirconium, aluminum, and iron.

The invention relates to scintillation inorganic oxide single crystals with garnet structure, which comprise cerium and are co-alloyed with titanium and Group 2 elements. The invention makes it possible to increase the scintillation output and to enhance the energy resolution of scintillation detectors during gamma-ray quantum registration. The technical result is achieved by a single crystal with a garnet structure being co-alloyed with cerium, titanium and Group 2 elements. This single crystal is produced by the Czochralski process.

Provided is a lithium secondary battery having both visible light transparency and flexibility. A lithium secondary battery includes: a positive electrode film formed on a flexible transparent film substrate and capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions; a transparent electrolyte having lithium ion conductivity; and a negative electrode film formed on a flexible transparent film substrate, the negative electrode film being a metal capable of forming an alloy with lithium or capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions. When the positive electrode film contains a lithium source, the negative electrode film is made to have a thickness of 50 nm to 300 nm by using, as a negative electrode material, any of tin oxide, silicon oxide, titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, niobium oxide, molybdenum oxide, metal phosphide, metal sulfide, metal nitride, metal fluoride, or metal titanium composite oxide.

In an amorphous complex metal oxide and a method for producing the same of the present disclosure, the amorphous complex metal oxide is a three-components metal oxide containing titanium (Ti), cerium (Ce), and zirconium (Zr), wherein the amorphous complex metal oxide is amorphous.

In an amorphous complex metal oxide and a method for producing the same of the present disclosure, the amorphous complex metal oxide is a three-components metal oxide containing titanium (Ti), cerium (Ce), and zirconium (Zr), wherein the amorphous complex metal oxide is amorphous.