Processes for preparing a niobate material include the following steps: (i) providing a niobium-containing source; (ii) providing a transitional metal source (TMS), a post-transitional metal source (PTMS), or both; (iii) dissolving (a) the niobium-containing source, and (b) the TMS, the PTMS, or both in an aqueous medium to form an intermediate solution; (iv) forming an intermediate paste by admixing an inert support material with the intermediate solution; (v) optionally coating the intermediate paste on a support substrate; and (vi) removing the inert support material by subjecting the intermediate paste to a calcination process and providing a transition-metal-niobate (TMN) and/or a post-transition-metal-niobate (PTMN). Anodes including a TMN and/or PTMN are also provided.

An oxide electrolyte sintered body with high lithium ion conductivity and a method for producing the same, which can obtain the oxide electrolyte sintered body with high lithium ion conductivity by sintering at lower temperature than ever before. The method for producing an oxide electrolyte sintered body may comprise the steps of: preparing crystal particles of a garnet-type ion-conducting oxide which comprises Li, H, at least one kind of element L selected from the group consisting of an alkaline-earth metal and a lanthanoid element, and at least one kind of element M selected from the group consisting of a transition element that can be 6-coordinated with oxygen and typical elements belonging to the Groups 12 to 15, and which is represented by a general formula (Li.sub.x−3y−z,E.sub.y,H.sub.z)L.sub.αM.sub.βO.sub.γ (where E is at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga, Fe and Si, 3≦x−3y−z≦7, 0≦y<0.22, 0<z≦2.8, 2.5≦α≦3.5, 1.5≦β≦2.5, and 11≦γ≦13); preparing a lithium-containing flux; and sintering a mixture of the crystal particles of the garnet-type ion-conducting oxide and the flux by heating at 400° C. or more and 650° C. 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 M1.sub.aM2.sub.2-aM3.sub.bNb.sub.34-bO.sub.87-c-dQ.sub.d.

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 M1.sub.aM2.sub.2-aM3.sub.bNb.sub.34-bO.sub.87-c-dQ.sub.d.

Provided is an electrochemical element having excellent load characteristics and charge-discharge cycle characteristics, an electrode active material that can constitute the electrochemical element, a method for manufacturing the electrode active material, an electrode material, an electrode, and a movable body including the electrochemical element. The electrode active material for an electrochemical element according to the present invention includes an oxide that has a monoclinic crystal structure and satisfies the following general formula (1): A.sub.yM.sup.1.sub.αAl.sub.x−αNb.sub.12−x−zM.sup.2.sub.zO.sub.29−δ (1). In the general formula (1), A is at least one element selected from Li and Na, M1 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Mn, Zn Cu, Ag, Mg Ca, Sr, Ba, Co, Eu, Y, Bi, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, and Gd, M2 is specific element, awl x, y, z, δ, and α satisfy 0<x≤1.1, 0≤y≤24, 0≤z≤2, −1≤δ≤2, and 0<α≤0.4x.

Provided is an electrochemical element having excellent load characteristics and charge-discharge cycle characteristics, an electrode active material that can constitute the electrochemical element, a method for manufacturing the electrode active material, an electrode material, an electrode, and a movable body including the electrochemical element. The electrode active material for an electrochemical element according to the present invention includes an oxide that has a monoclinic crystal structure and satisfies the following general formula (1): A.sub.yM.sup.1.sub.αAl.sub.x−αNb.sub.12−x−zM.sup.2.sub.zO.sub.29−δ (1). In the general formula (1), A is at least one element selected from Li and Na, M1 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Mn, Zn Cu, Ag, Mg Ca, Sr, Ba, Co, Eu, Y, Bi, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, and Gd, M2 is specific element, awl x, y, z, δ, and α satisfy 0<x≤1.1, 0≤y≤24, 0≤z≤2, −1≤δ≤2, and 0<α≤0.4x.

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 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.

The present invention relates, in general terms, to piezoelectric thin films with an empirical formula (K.sub.1xNa.sub.x).sub.yNbO.sub.3, wherein 0≤x≤1 and 0.64≤y≤0.95. In particular, the piezoelectric thin film comprises at least two adjacent NbO.sub.2 planes in an antiphase boundary, the at least two adjacent NbO.sub.2 planes displaced from each other by about half a lattice length in either the (100), (010) or (100) crystallographic plane. The present invention also relates to methods of fabricating the piezoelectric thin films.

A garnet-type ion-conducting oxide configured to inhibit lithium carbonate formation on the surface of crystal particles thereof, and a method for producing an oxide electrolyte sintered body using the garnet-type ion-conducting oxide. The garnet-type ion-conducting oxide represented by a general formula (Li.sub.x-3y-z, E.sub.y, H.sub.z)L.sub.αM.sub.βO.sub.γ (where E is at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga, Fe and Si; L is at least one kind of element selected from an alkaline-earth metal and a lanthanoid element: M is at least one kind of element selected from a transition element which be six-coordinated with oxygen and typical elements in groups 12 to 15 of the periodic table; 3≤x−3y−z≤; 0≤y≤0.22; C≤z≤2.8; 2.5≤α≤3.5; 1.5≤≈≤2.5; and 11≤γ≤13), wherein a half-width of a diffraction peak which has a highest intensity and which is observed at a diffraction angle (2θ) in a range of from 29° to 32° as a result of X-ray diffraction measurement using CuKα radiation, is 0.164° or less.