The present invention relates to a process for producing a plurality of hollow inorganic nanoparticles, which process comprises: (a) contacting a first monomer and a second monomer in a solvent to produce a composition comprising the solvent and a plurality of polymer nanoparticles; (b) adding an inorganic compound precursor to the composition comprising the solvent and the plurality of polymer nanoparticles to produce a composition comprising the solvent and a plurality of inorganic compound-coated polymer nanoparticles; (c) adding an additional amount of the first and second monomers to the composition comprising the solvent and the plurality of inorganic compound-coated polymer nanoparticles to produce a composition comprising the solvent and a plurality of composite nanoparticles; and (d) heating the plurality of composite nanoparticles to produce the plurality of hollow inorganic nanoparticles, wherein in step (a) the first monomer and the second monomer are contacted in the solvent at a temperature of at least 30 C. The present invention also relates to plurality of hollow inorganic nanoparticles and uses thereof.

Transparent and insulating materials having evacuated capsules are provided. According to an aspect of the invention, a method includes forming evacuated capsules within a solution, and dispersing and suspending the evacuated capsules within the solution such that a packing density of the evacuated capsules within the solution is greater than 30%, and a visible light transmission of the solution including the evacuated capsules is greater than 75%. According to another aspect of the invention, a layer includes a plurality of evacuated capsules distributed within a dried sol-gel. A thermal conductivity of the layer is between 0.02 W/m-K and 0.001 W/m-K, and the layer has a visible light transmission of greater than 30%.

Provided are a positive electrode active material for nonagueous secondary batteries, the material having a narrow particle-size distribution and a monodisperse property and being capable of increasing a battery capacity; an industrial production method thereof; and a nonaqueous secondary battery using the positive electrode active material and having excellent electrical characteristics. The positive electrode active material is represented by a general formula: Li.sub.1+uNi.sub.xCo.sub.yMn.sub.zM.sub.tO.sub.2+ (wherein, 0.05u0.95, x+y+z+t=1, 0x0.5, 0y0.5, 0.5z<0.8, 0t0.1, and M is an additive element and at least one element selected from Mg, Ca, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, and W), has an average particle diameter of 3 to 12 um, and has [(d.sub.90d.sub.10)/average particle diameter], an index indicating a scale of particle-size distribution, of 0.60 or less.

A positive electrode active material precursor for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, including a nickel composite hydroxide particle, is provided, wherein a cross section of the nickel composite hydroxide particle includes a void, and when the cross section of the nickel composite hydroxide particle is divided into a plurality of regions by boundary lines arranged in a grid such that each of the plurality of regions partitioned by the boundary lines has a size of 2 m square, an average value of a ratio of an area of the void in an area of each of the plurality of regions partitioned by the boundary lines, is greater than or equal to 0.5% and less than or equal to 5.0%, and a standard deviation of the ratio of the area of the void in the area of each of the plurality of regions partitioned by the boundary lines, is less than or equal to 1.0.

The present invention relates to a method of producing hollow carbon capsules which can simply and effectively produce hollow carbon capsule by using polymer particles as soft templates and using a spray-drying method.

Porous particles comprising an active ingredient and a coating exhibiting greater dissolution rate in aqueous media than in alcoholic media are disclosed. A process for the manufacture of the particles is also disclosed, as well as tamper-proof particles and solid dosage forms comprising the coated particles. The differential solubility characteristics of the particle coating allow the particles to be incorporated into abuse-deterrent medicaments.

Hollow particles containing monocrystalline titanium oxide and silica, and having a titanium oxide content of 86.0-99.5 mol % and a silica content of 0.5-14.0 mol %; and a method of producing the particles. A white ink containing the hollow particles as a coloring agent; the use of the white ink in inkjet recording; and a method for inkjet recording using the white ink.

Provided is a mordenite zeolite which can be produced without using an organic structure-directing agent, and has superior multivalent metal cation exchange capability. The mordenite zeolite according to the present invention containing silicon, a divalent metal M and aluminum in a skeletal structure, wherein the mordenite zeolite has the following atomic ratios in the state of Na-form. The mordenite zeolite preferably has a BET specific surface area of 250 m.sup.2/g or more and 500 m.sup.2/g or less and a micropore volume of 0.07 cc/g or more and 0.25 cc/g or less in the state of Na-form or H-form. Si/(M+Al)=5 or more and 10 or less, M/(M+Al)=0.1 or more and less than 1, and Na/(M+Al)=1 or more and less than 2.

A method of making silica-layered double hydroxide microspheres having the formula I: (i) wherein, M.sup.z+ and M.sup.y+ are two different charged metal cations; z=1 or 2; y=3 or 4; 0<x<0.9; b is 0 to 10; c is 0 to 10; P>0, q>0, X.sup.n is an anion; with n>0 a=z(1x)+xy2; and the AMO-solvent is an 100% aqueous miscible organic solvent; comprises the steps: (a) contacting silica microspheres and a metal ion containing solution containing metal ions M.sup.z+ and M.sup.y+ in the presence of a base and an anion solution; (b) collecting the product; and (c) optionally treating the product with AMO-solvent and recovering the solvent treated material to obtain the silica-layered double hydroxide microspheres. Preferably, M in the formula I is Li, Mg, Ni or Ca. Preferably, M in formula I is Al. The invention further provides silica-layered double hydroxide microspheres having the formula I. The silica-layered double hydroxide microspheres may be used as catalysts and/or catalyst supports.
(SiO.sub.2).sub.p@{[M.sup.z+.sub.(1-x)M.sup.y+.sub.x(OH).sub.2].sup.a+(X.sup.n).sub.a/n.bH.sub.2O.c(AMO-solvent)}.sub.q(I)

Described are composite photonic materials that incorporate magnetic nanoparticles inside hollow or solvent-filled nano-scale or micro-scale shells and methods of making and using such composite photonic materials. When these photonic materials are present in a magnetic field, they exhibit a change in reflected, scattered, and/or transmitted light as compared to when the materials are not in the presence of the magnetic field. This results in the materials appearing to have a different color, such as when observed by the human eye or a light detecting device, such as a camera.