Silicon-carbon composite materials and related processes are disclosed that overcome the challenges for providing amorphous nano-sized silicon entrained within porous carbon. Compared to other, inferior materials and processes described in the prior art, the materials and processes disclosed herein find superior utility in various applications, including energy storage devices such as lithium ion batteries.

Provided are a fine particle manufacturing apparatus and a fine particle manufacturing method, which manufacture smaller fine particles. The fine particle manufacturing apparatus has: a raw material supply unit that supplies raw materials for producing fine particles into a thermal plasma flame; a plasma torch in which the thermal plasma flame is generated and the raw materials supplied by the raw material supply unit is evaporated by the thermal plasma flame to form a mixture in a gaseous state; a plasma generation unit that generates the thermal plasma flame inside the plasma torch; and a gas supply unit that supplies quenched gas to the thermal plasma flame, wherein the gas supply unit supplies the quenched gas with time modulation of the supply amount of the quenched gas.

Provided are a fine particle manufacturing apparatus and a fine particle manufacturing method, which manufacture smaller fine particles. The fine particle manufacturing apparatus has: a raw material supply unit that supplies raw materials for producing fine particles into a thermal plasma flame; a plasma torch in which the thermal plasma flame is generated and the raw materials supplied by the raw material supply unit is evaporated by the thermal plasma flame to form a mixture in a gaseous state; a plasma generation unit that generates the thermal plasma flame inside the plasma torch; and a gas supply unit that supplies quenched gas to the thermal plasma flame, wherein the gas supply unit supplies the quenched gas with time modulation of the supply amount of the quenched gas.

A composition, comprising: trisilylamine and less than 5 ppmw of halogen. A method of making a silylamine comprising combining ammonia and a compound comprising aminosilane functionality, where the compound comprising aminosilane functionality is according to formula (I) R.sup.1 N(R.sup.2)a(SiH.sub.3).sub.2−a (I), where R.sup.1 is an organic polymer, a C-.sub.1-20 hydrocarbyl group or —SiR.sup.3.sub.3.sup.1, where R.sup.3 is C.sub.1-6 hydrocarbyl, R.sup.2 is a C-.sub.1-20 hydrocarbyl group, H, or —SiR.sup.3.sub.3.sup.1, where R.sup.3 is as defined above, subscript a is 0 or 1, provided that R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may be the same or different except if R.sup.1 is phenyl, R.sup.2 is not phenyl, under sufficient conditions to cause a reaction to form a silylamine and a byproduct.

A composition, comprising: trisilylamine and less than 5 ppmw of halogen. A method of making a silylamine comprising combining ammonia and a compound comprising aminosilane functionality, where the compound comprising aminosilane functionality is according to formula (I) R.sup.1 N(R.sup.2)a(SiH.sub.3).sub.2−a (I), where R.sup.1 is an organic polymer, a C-.sub.1-20 hydrocarbyl group or —SiR.sup.3.sub.3.sup.1, where R.sup.3 is C.sub.1-6 hydrocarbyl, R.sup.2 is a C-.sub.1-20 hydrocarbyl group, H, or —SiR.sup.3.sub.3.sup.1, where R.sup.3 is as defined above, subscript a is 0 or 1, provided that R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may be the same or different except if R.sup.1 is phenyl, R.sup.2 is not phenyl, under sufficient conditions to cause a reaction to form a silylamine and a byproduct.

Provided is method for synthesising core-shell nanoparticles by laser pyrolysis. The method may include a) conveying together a gaseous mixture including a silicon precursor and a germanium precursor in a reaction zone of a first chamber of a reactor, and b) emitting a first laser beam at the level of the reaction zone for carrying out a laser pyrolysis of the mixture, the steps making it possible to obtain nanoparticles having a core made of a silicon- and germanium-based alloy and a silicon shell.

A method of making neopentasilane, the method comprising: contacting perchloroneopentasilane with a reductive effective amount of an alkali metal aluminum hydride in an alkylaluminum compound of formula R.sub.xAlCl.sub.3-x, where R is alkyl having from at least 5 carbon atoms, x is an integer from 1 to 3, and the alkylaluminum compound has a boiling point of at least 250° C., at conditions sufficient to reduce the perchloroneopentasilane, to form a reaction product mixture comprising neopentasilane, and separating the neopentasilane from the product mixture to form a neopentasilane isolate.

A method of making neopentasilane, the method comprising: contacting perchloroneopentasilane with a reductive effective amount of an alkali metal aluminum hydride in an alkylaluminum compound of formula R.sub.xAlCl.sub.3-x, where R is alkyl having from at least 5 carbon atoms, x is an integer from 1 to 3, and the alkylaluminum compound has a boiling point of at least 250° C., at conditions sufficient to reduce the perchloroneopentasilane, to form a reaction product mixture comprising neopentasilane, and separating the neopentasilane from the product mixture to form a neopentasilane isolate.

A method for making tris(disilanyl)amine. The method comprises steps of: (a) contacting a disilanyl(alkyl)amine with ammonia to make bis(disilanyl)amine; and (b) allowing bis(disilanyl)amine to produce tris(disilanyl)amine and ammonia.

A method for making tris(disilanyl)amine. The method comprises steps of: (a) contacting a disilanyl(alkyl)amine with ammonia to make bis(disilanyl)amine; and (b) allowing bis(disilanyl)amine to produce tris(disilanyl)amine and ammonia.