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.

In one embodiment, an aerogel or xerogel includes column structures of a material having minor pores therein and major pores devoid of the material positioned between the column structures, where longitudinal axes of the major pores are substantially parallel to one another. In another embodiment, a method includes heating a sol including aerogel or xerogel precursor materials to cause gelation thereof to form an aerogel or xerogel and exposing the heated sol to an electric field, wherein the electric field causes orientation of a microstructure of the sol during gelation, which is retained by the aerogel or xerogel. In one approach, an aerogel has elongated pores extending between a material arranged in column structures having structural characteristics of being formed from a sol exposed to an electric field that causes orientation of a microstructure of the sol during gelation which is retained by the elongated pores of the aerogel.

In one embodiment, an aerogel or xerogel includes column structures of a material having minor pores therein and major pores devoid of the material positioned between the column structures, where longitudinal axes of the major pores are substantially parallel to one another. In another embodiment, a method includes heating a sol including aerogel or xerogel precursor materials to cause gelation thereof to form an aerogel or xerogel and exposing the heated sol to an electric field, wherein the electric field causes orientation of a microstructure of the sol during gelation, which is retained by the aerogel or xerogel. In one approach, an aerogel has elongated pores extending between a material arranged in column structures having structural characteristics of being formed from a sol exposed to an electric field that causes orientation of a microstructure of the sol during gelation which is retained by the elongated pores of the aerogel.

A process of making an electrochromic or an electrolytic film by Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis (USP) deposition on a substrate comprising: mixing a surfactant to an aqueous precursor solution comprising an electrochromic component or an electrolytic component to provide a spray solution; introducing the spray solution into an ultrasonic spray deposition nozzle at a constant flow rate between 0.1 mL/min and 2 mL/min and applying an ultrasonic frequency between 80 and 120 kHz to generate atomized droplets of the precursor solution; entraining the atomized droplets with a controlled jet of air as gas carrier at a pressure between 0.50 to 2.0 psi, onto a pre-heated substrate at a temperature of 200 to 450° C.; thermally converting the atomized droplets when depositing onto the pre-heated substrate to generate an electrochromic or an electrolytic film.

In the case where a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet comprising a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having a refractive index adjustment zone is provided in such a manner that two PET separators are laminated to opposite surfaces of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, it is difficult to distinguish between obverse and reverse sides of the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet itself. The present invention is directed to solving the above problems and, specifically, to offering a pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet having a refractive index adjustment zone capable of being easily produced at low cost, in a state in which it is preliminarily laminated with a substrate provided with an electroconductive layer, thereby making it possible to resolve complexity in handling (to easily distinguish between one surface defined by the refractive index adjustment zone and the other surface defined by the remaining zone).

Oxide compositions comprising a modified structure which includes the formula ABO.sub.z. The A component may comprise at a cation of least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Gd, and Zn, and the B component may comprise a cation of at least one element selected from the group consisting of V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni. Batteries and supercapacitors comprising the oxide compositions of the present disclosure and methods of making the oxide compositions of the present disclosure are also provided.

According to the present invention, there are provided lithium titanate particles which exhibit an excellent initial discharge capacity and an enhanced high-efficiency discharge capacity retention rate as an active substance for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries and a process for producing the lithium titanate particles, and Mg-containing lithium titanate particles.

According to the present invention, there are provided lithium titanate particles which exhibit an excellent initial discharge capacity and an enhanced high-efficiency discharge capacity retention rate as an active substance for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries and a process for producing the lithium titanate particles, and Mg-containing lithium titanate particles.

An ionic conductor is provided, wherein a composition formula thereof is Li.sub.9+xAl.sub.3(P.sub.2O.sub.7).sub.3(PO.sub.4).sub.2−x(GeO.sub.4).sub.x, wherein x is a range of 0<x≦2.0.