A liquid composition includes particles and a solvent, wherein a contact angle of the liquid composition with respect to a substrate is greater than a contact angle of the solvent with respect to the substrate, and the contact angle of the substrate with respect to water observed 9 seconds after the substrate comes into contact with the water is 45 degrees to 75 degrees.

A liquid composition includes particles and a solvent, wherein a contact angle of the liquid composition with respect to a substrate is greater than a contact angle of the solvent with respect to the substrate, and the contact angle of the substrate with respect to water observed 9 seconds after the substrate comes into contact with the water is 45 degrees to 75 degrees.

A method of forming a sulfur-based cathode material includes: 1) providing a sulfur-based nanostructure; 2) coating the nanostructure with an encapsulating material to form a shell surrounding the nanostructure; and 3) removing a portion of the nanostructure through the shell to form a void within the shell, with a remaining portion of the nanostructure disposed within the shell.

A method of forming a sulfur-based cathode material includes: 1) providing a sulfur-based nanostructure; 2) coating the nanostructure with an encapsulating material to form a shell surrounding the nanostructure; and 3) removing a portion of the nanostructure through the shell to form a void within the shell, with a remaining portion of the nanostructure disposed within the shell.

A low oxygen-type silicon nanoparticle-containing slurry that can inhibit a viscosity increase along with the nanosizing of silicon particles is provided. The low oxygen-type silicon nanoparticle-containing slurry can be used for the production of a lithium-ion secondary battery having excellent charge-discharge characteristics such as charge-discharge capacity, initial coulombic efficiency, and charge-discharge cycle characteristics. The low oxygen-type silicon nanoparticle-containing slurry contains low oxygen-type silicon nanoparticles, a nonaqueous solvent, and an additive. The low oxygen-type silicon nanoparticles have a ratio of a peak area (ii) in a range of −100 to −110 ppm to a peak area (i) in a range of −75 to −85 ppm [a (ii)/(i) ratio] of 1.0 or less in .sup.29Si-NMR.

A nanoporous carbon-loaded cement composite that conducts electricity. The nanoporous carbon-loaded cement composite can be used in a variety of different fields of use, including, for example, a structural super-capacitor as an energy solution for autonomous housing and other buildings, a heated cement for pavement deicing or house basement insulation against capillary rise, a protection of concrete against freeze-thaw (FT) or alkali silica reaction (ASR) or other crystallization degradation processes, and as a conductive cable, wire or concrete trace.

A nanoporous carbon-loaded cement composite that conducts electricity. The nanoporous carbon-loaded cement composite can be used in a variety of different fields of use, including, for example, a structural super-capacitor as an energy solution for autonomous housing and other buildings, a heated cement for pavement deicing or house basement insulation against capillary rise, a protection of concrete against freeze-thaw (FT) or alkali silica reaction (ASR) or other crystallization degradation processes, and as a conductive cable, wire or concrete trace.

A lamellar transition metal sulfide composition having layers of an amorphous transition metal sulfide with cations interspersed between the layers is described. Also described are methods of synthesizing the lamellar transition metal sulfides and the use of the lamellar transition metal sulfides in electrodes, e.g., in metal-ion batteries, metal-ion/sulfur batteries, and capacitors.

A negative electrode active material for a lead storage battery or a Pb/C battery according to an embodiment includes a porous carbon material having a plurality of pores and a lead nanoparticle formed in the pores. The material may be capable of controlling the crystal size of lead sulfate produced at a negative electrode during discharging of a lead storage battery and a Pb/C battery.

An electrochemical device, which is a non-aqueous electrochemical device, comprising a polymer (P) enclosed in an inside of the electrochemical device, wherein the polymer (P) is a polymer having a molecular structure containing a unit (P) represented by the following formula (P), the polymer (P) having a weight-average molecular weight of greater than 50,000, as well as an electrode for an electrochemical device, a coating liquid for an electrochemical device, an insulating layer for an electrochemical device, an undercoat layer for an electrochemical device, and an electrolytic solution for an electrochemical device including the polymer (P) and other ingredients:

##STR00001## in the formula (P), R.sup.P is a group of 1 to 20 carbon atoms.