A precursor solution according to the present disclosure contains: an organic solvent; a lithium oxoacid salt that exhibits a solubility in the organic solvent; and a base metal compound that exhibits a solubility in the organic solvent and that is at least one base metal selected from the group consisting of Nb, Ta, and Sb.

A thin film structure including a dielectric material layer and an electronic device to which the thin film structure is applied are provided. The dielectric material layer includes a compound expressed by ABO.sub.3, wherein at least one of A and B in ABO.sub.3 is substituted and doped with another atom having a larger atom radius, and ABO.sub.3 becomes A.sub.1-xA′.sub.xB.sub.1-yB′.sub.yO.sub.3 (where x>=0, y>=0, at least one of x and y≠0, a dopant A′ has an atom radius greater than A and/or a dopant B′ has an atom radius greater than B) through substitution and doping. A dielectric material property of the dielectric material layer varies according to a type of a substituted and doped dopant and a substitution doping concentration.

Conducting metal oxide and nitride nanoparticles that can be used in fuel cell applications. The metal oxide nanoparticles are comprised of for example, titanium, niobium, tantalum, tungsten and combinations thereof. The metal nitride nanoparticles are comprised of, for example, titanium, niobium, tantalum, tungsten, zirconium, and combinations thereof. The nanoparticles can be sintered to provide conducting porous agglomerates of the nanoparticles which can be used as a catalyst support in fuel cell applications. Further, platinum nanoparticles, for example, can be deposited on the agglomerates to provide a material that can be used as both an anode and a cathode catalyst support in a fuel cell.

Conducting metal oxide and nitride nanoparticles that can be used in fuel cell applications. The metal oxide nanoparticles are comprised of for example, titanium, niobium, tantalum, tungsten and combinations thereof. The metal nitride nanoparticles are comprised of, for example, titanium, niobium, tantalum, tungsten, zirconium, and combinations thereof. The nanoparticles can be sintered to provide conducting porous agglomerates of the nanoparticles which can be used as a catalyst support in fuel cell applications. Further, platinum nanoparticles, for example, can be deposited on the agglomerates to provide a material that can be used as both an anode and a cathode catalyst support in a fuel cell.

A metal oxide nanoparticle comprises a metal oxide core of formula M.sub.2O.sub.5, wherein M is tantalum (V) or niobium (V) and alkylsiloxane ligands bonded to the metal oxide core. The alkylsiloxane ligands are selected from the group consisting of isobutylsiloxane, allylsiloxane, vinylsiloxane, n-propyl siloxane, n-butylsiloxane, sec-butyl siloxane, tert-butyl siloxane, phenylsiloxane, n-octylsiloxane, isooctylsiloxane n-dodecyl siloxane, 4 -(trimethyl silyl)phenylsiloxane, para-tolylsiloxane, 4-fluorophenyl siloxane, 4 -chlorophenyl siloxane, 4-bromophenyl siloxane, 4-iodophenylsiloxane, 4-cyanophenyl siloxane, benzylsiloxane, methylsiloxane, ethylsiloxane, 4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylsiloxane, 4 -ammoniumbutylsiloxane, and any combination thereof.

A metal oxide nanoparticle comprises a metal oxide core of formula M.sub.2O.sub.5, wherein M is tantalum (V) or niobium (V) and alkylsiloxane ligands bonded to the metal oxide core. The alkylsiloxane ligands are selected from the group consisting of isobutylsiloxane, allylsiloxane, vinylsiloxane, n-propyl siloxane, n-butylsiloxane, sec-butyl siloxane, tert-butyl siloxane, phenylsiloxane, n-octylsiloxane, isooctylsiloxane n-dodecyl siloxane, 4 -(trimethyl silyl)phenylsiloxane, para-tolylsiloxane, 4-fluorophenyl siloxane, 4 -chlorophenyl siloxane, 4-bromophenyl siloxane, 4-iodophenylsiloxane, 4-cyanophenyl siloxane, benzylsiloxane, methylsiloxane, ethylsiloxane, 4-(trifluoromethyl)phenylsiloxane, 4 -ammoniumbutylsiloxane, and any combination thereof.

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.

Disclosed are embodiments of a barium magnesium tantalate including additional components to increase the Q value of the material. In some embodiments, complex tungsten oxides and/or hexagonal perovskite crystal structures can be added into the barium magnesium tantalate to provide for advantageous properties. In some embodiments, no tin is used in the formation of the material.

A mixed conductor represented by Formula 1:
A.sub.4±xTi.sub.5−yG.sub.zO.sub.12−δ  Formula 1 wherein, in Formula 1, A is a monovalent cation, G is at least one of a monovalent cation, a divalent cation, a trivalent cation, a tetravalent cation, a pentavalent cation, or a hexavalent cation, with the proviso that G is not Ti or Cr, wherein 0<x<2, 0.3<y<5, 0<z<5, and 0<δ≤3.

Nanoporous metal oxide framework compositions useful as anodic materials in a lithium ion battery, the composition comprising metal oxide nanocrystals interconnected in a nanoporous framework and having interconnected channels, wherein the metal in said metal oxide comprises titanium and at least one metal selected from niobium and tantalum, e.g., TiNb.sub.2-x Ta.sub.xO.sub.y (wherein x is a value from 0 to 2, and y is a value from 7 to 10) and Ti.sub.2Nb.sub.10-vTa.sub.vO.sub.w (wherein v is a value from 0 to 2, and w is a value from 27 to 29). A novel sol gel method is also described in which sol gel reactive precursors are combined with a templating agent under sol gel reaction conditions to produce a hybrid precursor, and the precursor calcined to form the anodic composition. The invention is also directed to lithium ion batteries in which the nanoporous framework material is incorporated in an anode of the battery.