A method of preparing bismuth vanadate particles is described. The bismuth vanadate particles prepared via ultrasonication and hydrothermal treatment exhibit controlled morphology (e.g., octahedral shape) and crystallinity (e.g., tetragonal crystal symmetry). A photoelectrode containing bismuth vanadate particles and a method of using the photoelectrode in a photoelectrochemical cell for water splitting is also provided.

A lithium-ion battery anode material containing surface-coated disordered rocksalt lithium vanadium oxide is disclosed. The surface coating contains a species selected from the group consisting of carbon, a metal oxide, a metalloid oxide, a metal fluoride, a metalloid fluoride, a metal phosphate, a metalloid phosphate, and combinations thereof. Materials, designs, synthesis methods, and devices related to fast-charging lithium-ion batteries are provided. This invention fills a technology gap by providing anode materials with disordered rocksalt lithium vanadium oxides to achieve fast charging in 10 minutes or less, greater than 200 W.Math.h/kg energy density, a lifetime of at least 10,000 cycles, and improved battery safety. Methods of making and using the optionally surface-coated disordered rocksalt lithium vanadium oxide are disclosed. Many experimental examples are included, demonstrating several remarkable attributes of this battery technology.

The present disclosure broadly relates to a process for preparing aqueous solutions of vanadium sulfates or aqueous solutions of transition metal sulfates. More specifically, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to a direct electrochemical process in which a suspension, obtained by slurrying transition metals oxides such as oxides of vanadium, oxides of iron, oxides of cobalt, oxides of nickel, oxides of chromium, oxides of manganese, oxides of titanium, oxides of cerium, oxides of praseodymium, oxides of europium, oxides of terbium, oxides of uranium, oxides of plutonium, or their mixtures thereof with sulfuric acid as carrier fluid, is reduced electrochemically inside the cathode compartment of an electrolyzer to produce an aqueous solution of vanadium sulfates or of transition metal sulfates. Simultaneously, oxidizing co-products are produced in the anode compartment.

A redox flow battery system includes an anolyte having a first ionic species in solution; a catholyte having a second ionic species in solution, where the redox flow battery system is configured to reduce the first ionic species in the anolyte and oxidize the second ionic species in the catholyte during charging; a first electrode in contact with the anolyte, where the first electrode includes channels for collection of particles of reduced metallic impurities in the anolyte; a second electrode in contact with the catholyte; and a separator separating the anolyte from the catholyte. A method of reducing metallic impurities in an anolyte of a redox flow battery system includes reducing the metallic impurities in the anolyte; collecting particles of the reduced metallic impurities; and removing the collected particles using a cleaning solution.

A redox flow battery system includes an anolyte having a first ionic species in solution; a catholyte having a second ionic species in solution, where the redox flow battery system is configured to reduce the first ionic species in the anolyte and oxidize the second ionic species in the catholyte during charging; a first electrode in contact with the anolyte, where the first electrode includes channels for collection of particles of reduced metallic impurities in the anolyte; a second electrode in contact with the catholyte; and a separator separating the anolyte from the catholyte. A method of reducing metallic impurities in an anolyte of a redox flow battery system includes reducing the metallic impurities in the anolyte; collecting particles of the reduced metallic impurities; and removing the collected particles using a cleaning solution.

The present invention provides coated metal sulfide particles comprising a metal sulfide that is partially or totally coated with a coating layer containing a metal oxide, the metal sulfide having a composition ratio of sulfur to a metal (S/M.sup.1) of 2.1 to 10 in terms of the molar ratio. The coated metal sulfide particles are a material that improves charge-and-discharge cycle characteristics without reducing the initial capacity.

A down-converted light emitting combination that generates a visible light when an ultraviolet light is incident is provided. The down-converted light emitting combination includes a first structure made of a first material that generates a visible light of a first color when an ultraviolet light of a first wavelength range is incident and a second structure made of a second material that generates a visible light of a second color different from the first color when the ultraviolet light of a second wavelength range different from the first wavelength range is incident, and the first material and the second material have different emission colors and distributions of intensities of the visible lights generated depending on a wavelength of the incident ultraviolet light.

The present invention relates to the use of (Bi1−xAx)(V1−yMy)O4 in a non-stick coating for a household article so as to catalyse the breakdown of the by-products resulting from said coating during the manufacturing process thereof or the use of said household article, characterised in that: x is 0 or x is from 0.001 to 0.999, y is 0 or y is from 0.001 to 0.999, A and M are selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, a transition metal, a poor metal, a metalloid or a lanthanide, A and M are different from each other.

The present invention relates to the use of (Bi1−xAx)(V1−yMy)O4 in a non-stick coating for a household article so as to catalyse the breakdown of the by-products resulting from said coating during the manufacturing process thereof or the use of said household article, characterised in that: x is 0 or x is from 0.001 to 0.999, y is 0 or y is from 0.001 to 0.999, A and M are selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, a transition metal, a poor metal, a metalloid or a lanthanide, A and M are different from each other.

The purpose of the present invention is the use of (Bi.sub.1-xA.sub.x)(V.sub.1-yM.sub.y)0.sub.4 in a non-stick coating for a household article so as to reduce or prevent the color change of said coating during the manufacturing process thereof, characterised in that: —x is equal to 0 or x is from 0.001 to 0.999; —y is equal to 0 or y is from 0.001 to 0.999; —A and Mare selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, a transition metal, a poor metal, a metalloid or a lanthanide; —A and M are different from each other.