An object of the present invention is to provide composite particles capable of suppressing oxidation over time of a Si—C composite material. Composite particles (B) of the present invention contains composite particles (A) containing carbon and silicon; and amorphous layers coating surfaces thereof, where the composite particles (B) have I.sub.Si/I.sub.G of 0.10 or more and 0.65 or less, and have R value (I.sub.D/I.sub.G) of 1.00 or more and 1.30 or less, when a peak due to silicon is present at 450 to 495 cm.sup.−1, an intensity of the peak is defined as I.sub.Si, an intensity of a G band (peak intensity in the vicinity of 1600 cm.sup.−1) is defined as I.sub.G, and an intensity of a D band (peak intensity in the vicinity of 1360 cm.sup.−1) is defined as I.sub.D in a Raman spectrum, and where the composite particles (B) have a full width at half maximum of a peak of a 111 plane of Si of 3.0 deg. or more using a Cu-Kα ray in an XRD pattern.

An object of the present invention is to provide composite particles capable of suppressing oxidation over time of a Si—C composite material. Composite particles (B) of the present invention contains composite particles (A) containing carbon and silicon; and amorphous layers coating surfaces thereof, where the composite particles (B) have I.sub.Si/I.sub.G of 0.10 or more and 0.65 or less, and have R value (I.sub.D/I.sub.G) of 1.00 or more and 1.30 or less, when a peak due to silicon is present at 450 to 495 cm.sup.−1, an intensity of the peak is defined as I.sub.Si, an intensity of a G band (peak intensity in the vicinity of 1600 cm.sup.−1) is defined as I.sub.G, and an intensity of a D band (peak intensity in the vicinity of 1360 cm.sup.−1) is defined as I.sub.D in a Raman spectrum, and where the composite particles (B) have a full width at half maximum of a peak of a 111 plane of Si of 3.0 deg. or more using a Cu-Kα ray in an XRD pattern.

A niobate compound is provided that has excellent reactivity with alkali metal salts and can be reacted with alkali metal salts at room temperature. The niobate compound has a ratio (first peak/second peak) of the intensity of a peak (first peak) having the highest intensity at 2θ=9.4°±1.5° to the intensity of a peak (second peak) having the highest intensity at 2θ=29.0°±1.5° being 1.3 or more in the X-ray diffraction pattern.

A niobate compound is provided that has excellent reactivity with alkali metal salts and can be reacted with alkali metal salts at room temperature. The niobate compound has a ratio (first peak/second peak) of the intensity of a peak (first peak) having the highest intensity at 2θ=9.4°±1.5° to the intensity of a peak (second peak) having the highest intensity at 2θ=29.0°±1.5° being 1.3 or more in the X-ray diffraction pattern.

A positive-electrode material according to the present disclosure includes a positive-electrode active material and a coating layer covering the positive-electrode active material, wherein the coating layer contains niobium and carbon, the positive-electrode active material and the coating layer constitute a coated active material, and the ratio Nb/C of the niobium content to the carbon content in a surface layer portion of the coated active material is 0.11 or more based on the atomic ratio.

The present invention relates to a ceramic, to a process for preparing the ceramic and to the use of the ceramic as a dielectric in a capacitor.

To provide a thermoelectric conversion material having low environmental load and an excellent thermoelectric figure of merit ZT and a thermoelectric conversion module including the thermoelectric conversion material. A thermoelectric conversion material of the present invention is characterized by being a compound represented by Chemical Formula (1).
Cu.sub.26-xM.sub.xA.sub.2E.sub.6-yS.sub.32  (1)
In Chemical Formula (1), M represents a metal material including at least one of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Zn; A represents a metal material including at least one of Nb and Ta; E represents a metal material including at least one of Si, Ge, and Sn; x represents a numerical value of 0 or more and 4 or less; and y represents a numerical value of more than 0 and 1 or less.

The invention relates to active electrode materials and to methods for the manufacture of active electrode materials. Such materials are of interest as active electrode materials in lithium-ion or sodium-ion batteries. The invention provides an active electrode material expressed by the general formula [M][Nb].sub.y[O].sub.z; wherein the active electrode material is oxygen deficient; wherein M consists of one of Mg, Cr, W, Mo, Cu, Ga, Ge, Ca, K, Ni, Co, Al, Sn, Mn, Ce, Sb, Y, La, Hf, Ta, Zn, In, or Cd; y satisfies 0.5≤y≤49; and z satisfies 4≤z≤124.

Various embodiments may provide an electromechanical responsive film. The electromechanical responsive film may include a composition including sodium (Na), potassium (K), niobium (Nb) and oxygen (O). The composition may have a formula (Na.sub.xK.sub.y)NbO.sub.3-δ, wherein 0≤x<1, wherein 0≤y<1, and wherein 0<x+y<1. The composition may satisfy at least one condition selected from a group consisting of a first condition of (x+y+4)/2≤(3−δ)≤(x+y+5)/2 and a second condition of 0<δ<1.

Systems and methods are disclosed for a rock-salt structure formed from an electrochemically-driven amorphous-to-crystalline (a-to-c) transformation of nanostructured Nb.sub.2O.sub.5, the rock-salt structure including, upon cycling with lithium ions (Li+), an insertion of lithium ions (Li+) into Nb.sub.2O.sub.5 to form the rock-salt structure (RS—Nb.sub.2O.sub.5).