Novel methods for processing fumed metallic oxides into globular metallic oxide agglomerates are provided. The methodology may allow for fumed metallic oxide particles, such as fumed silica and fumed alumina particles, to be processed into a globular morphology to improve handling while retaining a desirable surface area. The processes may include providing fumed metallic oxide particles, combining the particles with a liquid carrier to form a suspension, atomizing the solution of suspended particles, and subjecting the atomized droplets to a temperature range sufficient to remove the liquid carrier from the droplets, to produce metallic oxide-containing agglomerations.

Disclosed here is a method for making a monolithic rare earth oxide (REO) aerogel, comprising: preparing a reaction mixture comprising at least one rare earth metal nitrate, at least one epoxide, at least one base catalyst, and at least one organic solvent; curing the mixture to produce a wet gel; drying the wet gel to produce a dry gel; and thermally annealing the dry gel to produce the monolithic REO aerogel. Also disclosed is an REO aerogel comprising a network of REO nanostructures, wherein the REO aerogel is a monolith having at least one lateral dimension of at least 1 cm, wherein the REO aerogel has a density of about 40-500 mg/cm.sup.3 and/or a BET surface area of at least about 20 m.sup.2/g, and wherein the REO aerogel is substantially free of oxychloride.

Disclosed are a composite oxide which is capable of maintaining a large volume of pores even used in a high temperature environment, and which has excellent heat resistance and catalytic activity, as well as a method for producing the composite oxide and a catalyst for exhaust gas purification employing the composite oxide. The composite oxide contains cerium and at least one element selected from aluminum, silicon, or rare earth metals other than cerium and including yttrium, at a mass ratio of 85:15 to 99:1 in terms oxides, and has a property of exhibiting a not less than 0.30 cm.sup.3/g, preferably not less than 0.40 cm.sup.3/g volume of pores with a diameter of not larger than 200 nm, after calcination at 900° C. for 5 hours, and is suitable for a co-catalyst in a catalyst for vehicle exhaust gas purification.

Monodisperse particles having: a single pure crystalline phase of a rare earth-containing lattice, a uniform three-dimensional size, and a uniform polyhedral morphology are disclosed. Due to their uniform size and shape, the monodisperse particles self assemble into superlattices. The particles may be luminescent particles such as down-converting phosphor particles and up-converting phosphors. The monodisperse particles of the invention have a rare earth-containing lattice which in one embodiment may be an yttrium-containing lattice or in another may be a lanthanide-containing lattice. The monodisperse particles may have different optical properties based on their composition, their size, and/or their morphology (or shape). Also disclosed is a combination of at least two types of monodisperse particles, where each type is a plurality of monodisperse particles having a single pure crystalline phase of a rare earth-containing lattice, a uniform three-dimensional size, and a uniform polyhedral morphology; and where the types of monodisperse particles differ from one another by composition, by size, or by morphology. In a preferred embodiment, the types of monodisperse particles have the same composition but different morphologies. Methods of making and methods of using the monodisperse particles are disclosed.

Described herein are compositions and methods relating to molecular cerium-oxide nanoclusters. In an aspect, described herein are methods of synthesizing molecular cerium-oxide nanocluster compositions and compositions thereof. In an aspect, described herein are methods of scavenging reactive oxygen species utilizing molecular cerium-oxide nanoclusters as described herein. Also described herein are pharmaceutical compositions and methods of use. Pharmaceutical compositions as described herein can comprise a therapeutically effective amount of a compound (such as a composition comprising one or more molecular cerium-oxide nanoclusters), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the compound, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Methods of treating oxidative stress are also described herein, comprising administering pharmaceutical compositions as described herein to a subject in need thereof. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

Described herein are compositions and methods relating to molecular cerium-oxide nanoclusters. In an aspect, described herein are methods of synthesizing molecular cerium-oxide nanocluster compositions and compositions thereof. In an aspect, described herein are methods of scavenging reactive oxygen species utilizing molecular cerium-oxide nanoclusters as described herein. Also described herein are pharmaceutical compositions and methods of use. Pharmaceutical compositions as described herein can comprise a therapeutically effective amount of a compound (such as a composition comprising one or more molecular cerium-oxide nanoclusters), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of the compound, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Methods of treating oxidative stress are also described herein, comprising administering pharmaceutical compositions as described herein to a subject in need thereof. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

The present invention relates to a composition based on yttrium oxide, on a cerium-based compound and on an organic compound and its use in the field of welding as stop-off product. The composition comprises, in an aqueous medium: yttrium oxide particles; particles of a cerium-based compound: which is cerium oxide; or which is prepared by the process consisting in causing a colloidal dispersion D, which is obtained by the neutralization of an aqueous cerium nitrate solution by a basic aqueous solution, to undergo heating; an organic compound chosen from the group formed by polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, carboxymethyl cellulose and hydroxyethyl cellulose.

A method for preparing two-dimensional (2D) ordered mesoporous nanosheets by inorganic salt interface-induced assembly includes the following steps: carrying out, by using a soluble inorganic salt as a substrate and an amphiphilic block copolymer as a template, uniform mass diffusion of a target precursor solution at an inorganic salt crystal interface through vacuum filtration or low-speed centrifugation; forming a single-layer ordered mesoporous structure by using the solvent evaporation-induced co-assembly (EICA) technology; and promoting, through gradient temperature-controlled Ostwald ripening, the evaporation and induced formation of an organic solvent, and removing the template in N2 to obtain a 2D single-layer ordered mesoporous nanosheet material. The assembled nanosheet material has a large pore size, regular spherical pores and orderly arrangement. By changing the type of the precursor, a variety of mesoporous metal oxides, metal elements, inorganic non-metal nanosheets are synthesized.

A method for preparing two-dimensional (2D) ordered mesoporous nanosheets by inorganic salt interface-induced assembly includes the following steps: carrying out, by using a soluble inorganic salt as a substrate and an amphiphilic block copolymer as a template, uniform mass diffusion of a target precursor solution at an inorganic salt crystal interface through vacuum filtration or low-speed centrifugation; forming a single-layer ordered mesoporous structure by using the solvent evaporation-induced co-assembly (EICA) technology; and promoting, through gradient temperature-controlled Ostwald ripening, the evaporation and induced formation of an organic solvent, and removing the template in N2 to obtain a 2D single-layer ordered mesoporous nanosheet material. The assembled nanosheet material has a large pore size, regular spherical pores and orderly arrangement. By changing the type of the precursor, a variety of mesoporous metal oxides, metal elements, inorganic non-metal nanosheets are synthesized.

The present invention relates to a method for producing core-shell nanocrystals consisting of a metal-containing nanocrystal core and a shell layer comprising at least one metal oxide material having variable shell thicknesses, and use of the core-shell nanocrystals for different applications.