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.

Provided is a lithium complex oxide sintered plate for use in a positive electrode of a lithium secondary battery. The lithium complex oxide sintered plate has a structure in which a plurality of primary grains having a layered rock-salt structure are bonded, and has a porosity of 3 to 40%, a mean pore diameter of 15 μm or less, an open porosity of 70% or more, and a thickness of 15 to 200 μm. The plurality of primary grains has a primary grain diameter, i.e., a mean diameter of the primary grains, of 20 μm or less and a mean tilt angle of more than 0° to 30° or less. The mean tilt angle is a mean value of the angles defined by the (003) planes of the primary grains and the plate face of the lithium complex oxide sintered plate.

A lattice energy converter (LEC) is disclosed that produces ionizing radiation and/or electricity based on the thermal energy in the lattice of a specially prepared working electrode comprised in whole or in part of hydrogen host materials that are occluded with hydrogen or the isotopes of hydrogen and wherein the hydrogen host materials may include vacancies, superabundant vacancies, and other lattice defects. When the hydrogen host material is occluded with hydrogen, the LEC was found to self-initiate the production of ionizing radiation and, when the hydrogen host materials are in fluidic contact with a gas or vapor containing hydrogen or isotopes of hydrogen, the LEC was found to self-sustain the production of ionizing radiation. When the LEC includes one or more additional electrodes or electrode structures, the ionizing radiation was found to be converted to electrical energy. Materials that are normally considered to be radioactive are not required.

A positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery achieves high output characteristics and battery capacity, and allows a high electrode density to be achieved in the case of using the material for a positive electrode of a battery; and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery uses the positive electrode active material, thereby achieving a high output with a high capacity. Prepared is a nickel composite hydroxide including plate-shaped secondary particles aggregated with overlaps between plate surfaces of multiple plate-shaped primary particles, where shapes projected from directions perpendicular to the plate surfaces of the plate-shaped primary particles are any plane projection shape of spherical, elliptical, oblong, and massive shapes, and the secondary particles have an aspect ratio of 3 to 20, and a volume average particle size (Mv) of 4 μm to 20 μm measured by a laser diffraction scattering method.

The present invention provides for an emulsion comprising solid particles of a single composition, or a mixture thereof, comprising a polymer comprising one monomer of an aryl methacrylate, or a mixture thereof, co-polymerized with a monomer of an alkyl methacrylate, or a mixture thereof; wherein Ar is an aryl group and R is an alkyl group, and n:m has a ratio of from about 0:100 to about 100:0.

The present disclosure is directed to methods of securing battery tab structures to binderless, collectorless self-standing electrodes, comprising electrode active material and carbon nanotubes and no foil-based collector, and the resulting battery-tab secured electrodes. Such methods and the resulting battery tab-secured electrodes may facilitate the use of such composites in battery and power applications.

Hybrid particles having improved electrical conductivity and thermal and chemical stabilities are disclosed. The hybrid particles are for use in conductive pastes. The hybrid particles include a nanoparticle selected from a graphene-containing material, a dichalcogenide material, a conducting polymer, or a combination thereof encapsulated in a conducting metal. The hybrid particles include a nanoparticle selected from a graphene-containing material, a dichalcogenide material, or a combination thereof encapsulated in a conducting polymer, and optionally further in a conducting metal. Suitable conducting metals include nickel or silver. Suitable conducting polymers include polyaniline, polypyrrole, or polythiophene. Suitable dichalcogenide materials include MoS.sub.2 or MoSe.sub.2. The hybrid particles can further include a conducting polymer layer on an outer surface of the conducting metal. Methods of making the hybrid particles are also disclosed.

The invention relates to a starved metal hydride battery. The battery is characterized in that the battery further comprises adding of oxygen gas or hydrogen gas or hydrogen peroxide or a combination thereof in order to rebalance the electrodes and replenish the electrolyte by reactions with the electrode materials.

In various embodiments, a solid oxide fuel cell features a functional layer for reducing interfacial resistance between the cathode and the solid electrolyte.

Methods of preparing Si-based anode slurries and anode made thereof are provided. Methods comprise coating silicon particles within a size range of 300-700 nm by silver and/or tin particles within a size range of 20-500 nm, mixing the coated silicon particles with conductive additives and binders in a solvent to form anode slurry, and preparing an anode from the anode slurry. Alternatively or complementarily, silicon particles may be milled in an organic solvent, and, in the same organic solvent, coating agent(s), conductive additive(s) and binder(s) may be added to the milled silicon particles—to form the Si-based anode slurry. Alternatively or complementarily, milled silicon particles may be mixed, in a first organic solvent, with coating agent(s), conductive additive(s) and binder(s)—to form the Si-based anode slurry. Disclosed methods simplify the anode production process and provide equivalent or superior anodes.