Ternary composite material, electrode, supercapacitor, and related methods. A ternary composite material includes a scaffold formed of carbon nanotubes (CNT), a first layer of zeolitic imidazolate 8 (ZIF-8) crystals formed on the scaffold of the CNT, and a second layer of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) flakes formed on the first layer of the ZIF-8 crystals. An electrode can be formed with the ternary composite. A supercapacitor may include one or more electrodes that are at least partly formed of the ternary composite material. Methods of producing the ternary composite material and the electrodes are also disclosed.

Provided is a production method that enables the production of a composite body of lithium titanate particles and a carbonaceous material, the composite body having excellent electrical characteristics and so on, and the composite body of lithium titanate particles and a carbonaceous material. A method for producing a composite body of lithium titanate particles and a carbonaceous material includes the steps of: preparing a raw material mixture using a titanium compound, a lithium compound, and an oligomer and/or raw material monomer of an alkali-soluble resin; and subjecting the raw material mixture to heat treatment under a non-oxidizing atmosphere to produce the composite body.

Provided is a production method that enables the production of a composite body of lithium titanate particles and a carbonaceous material, the composite body having excellent electrical characteristics and so on, and the composite body of lithium titanate particles and a carbonaceous material. A method for producing a composite body of lithium titanate particles and a carbonaceous material includes the steps of: preparing a raw material mixture using a titanium compound, a lithium compound, and an oligomer and/or raw material monomer of an alkali-soluble resin; and subjecting the raw material mixture to heat treatment under a non-oxidizing atmosphere to produce the composite body.

An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a method of producing metal compound particle group for an electricity storage device electrode that has an improved rate characteristic, the metal compound particle group, and an electrode formed of the metal compound particle group. The method of producing metal compound particle group applied for an electrode of an electricity storage device, the method includes a step of combining a precursor of metal compound particle with a carbon source to obtain a first composite material, a step of producing the metal compound particle by heat processing the first composite material under a non-oxidizing atmosphere to obtain a second composite material having the metal compound particle combined with carbon, and a step of eliminating carbon by heat processing the second composite material under an oxygen atmosphere to obtain the metal compound particle group having the metal compound particle coupled in a three-dimensional mesh structure.

An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a method of producing metal compound particle group for an electricity storage device electrode that has an improved rate characteristic, the metal compound particle group, and an electrode formed of the metal compound particle group. The method of producing metal compound particle group applied for an electrode of an electricity storage device, the method includes a step of combining a precursor of metal compound particle with a carbon source to obtain a first composite material, a step of producing the metal compound particle by heat processing the first composite material under a non-oxidizing atmosphere to obtain a second composite material having the metal compound particle combined with carbon, and a step of eliminating carbon by heat processing the second composite material under an oxygen atmosphere to obtain the metal compound particle group having the metal compound particle coupled in a three-dimensional mesh structure.

A printed energy storage device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a separator between the first and the second electrode. At least one of the first electrode, the second electrode, and the separator includes frustules, for example of diatoms. The frustules may have a uniform or substantially uniform property or attribute such as shape, dimension, and/or porosity. A property or attribute of the frustules can also be modified by applying or forming a surface modifying structure and/or material to a surface of the frustules. A membrane for an energy storage device includes frustules. An ink for a printed film includes frustules.

A printed energy storage device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a separator between the first and the second electrode. At least one of the first electrode, the second electrode, and the separator includes frustules, for example of diatoms. The frustules may have a uniform or substantially uniform property or attribute such as shape, dimension, and/or porosity. A property or attribute of the frustules can also be modified by applying or forming a surface modifying structure and/or material to a surface of the frustules. A membrane for an energy storage device includes frustules. An ink for a printed film includes frustules.

A carbon coating-treatment apparatus configured to introduce organic gas into the furnace tube through the gas introduction tube while stirring raw material particles introduced into the furnace tube with the stirring blade to coat the raw material particles with carbon coating, wherein the stirring blade is configured to have a proportion satisfying relation of V.sub.2/V.sub.1≧0.1, where V.sub.1 is a time-averaged volume of a portion of the stirring blade positioned in the furnace tube, V.sub.2 is a time-averaged volume of a portion of the stirring blade positioned in a region of the furnace tube except for a cylindrical region being in a distance of R/10 or less from the central axis of the furnace tube, and R is the inner diameter of the furnace tube. A carbon coating-treatment apparatus that can sufficiently coat raw material particles with uniform carbon coating to produce particles having carbon coating in high productivity.

A carbon coating-treatment apparatus configured to introduce organic gas into the furnace tube through the gas introduction tube while stirring raw material particles introduced into the furnace tube with the stirring blade to coat the raw material particles with carbon coating, wherein the stirring blade is configured to have a proportion satisfying relation of V.sub.2/V.sub.1≧0.1, where V.sub.1 is a time-averaged volume of a portion of the stirring blade positioned in the furnace tube, V.sub.2 is a time-averaged volume of a portion of the stirring blade positioned in a region of the furnace tube except for a cylindrical region being in a distance of R/10 or less from the central axis of the furnace tube, and R is the inner diameter of the furnace tube. A carbon coating-treatment apparatus that can sufficiently coat raw material particles with uniform carbon coating to produce particles having carbon coating in high productivity.

An electrochemical device includes a negative electrode containing a negative electrode active material, a positive electrode, and an electrolyte. The negative electrode active material has a crystal structure with an Fm3m space group and contains a compound represented by composition formula (1) below,

Li.sub.xTi.sub.yO.sub.z   Formula (1), where 0.4≦x/y<2 and x/2+3y/2≦z≦x/2+2y.