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.

This invention relates to azirconium hydroxideor zirconium oxide comprising, on an oxide basis, up to 30 wt % of a dopant comprising one or more of silicon, sulphate, phosphate, tungsten, niobium, aluminium, molybdenum, titanium or tin, and having acid sites, wherein the majority of the acid sites are Lewis acid sites. In addition, the invention relates to a catalyst, catalyst support or precursor, binder, functional binder, coating or sorbent comprising the zirconium hydroxide or zirconium oxide. The invention also relates to a process for preparing zirconium hydroxide, the process comprising the steps of:(a) dissolving a zirconium salt in an aqueous acid, (b) addingone or more complexing agents to the resulting solution or sol, the one or more complexing agents being an organic compound comprising at least one of the following functional groups: an amine, an organosulphate, a sulphonate, a hydroxyl, an ether or a carboxylic acid group, (c) heating the solution or sol formed in step (b), (d) adding a sulphating agent, and (e) adding a base to form a zirconium hydroxide, and (f) optionally adding a dopant.

Provided is a water-in-oil emulsion composition useful for cosmetics and skin preparations, which is excellent in storage stability without any surfactant and is also excellent in safety. The water-in-oil emulsion composition includes (a) an oily substance in an amount of 100 parts by mass,(b) water, or water and a water-soluble substance in an amount of 11 to 800 parts by mass, and (c) hydrophobic, spherical sol-gel silica fine particles having a volumetric median diameter (D50) of 5 to 1500 nm in an amount of 0.5 to 40 parts by mass.

An antimicrobial coating composition comprising a nanoparticle composite having a core and at least one shell, wherein the core comprises a silver nanoparticle having an antimicrobial action. The at least one shell is formed by a doped semiconductor providing a photocatalytic action and increasing the stability of silver nanoparticle core by controlling the releasing of Ag ions. The nanoparticle composite comprises a nanoparticle of a noble metal providing surface plasmon under the presence of electromagnetic radiation.

A method for preparing porous inorganic particles is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: (a) preparing an emulsion comprising an inorganic precursor and a polar solvent; (b) adding an organic solvent to the emulsion of step (a) to swell emulsion particles; (c) mixing the swollen emulsion of step (b) with polymer particles having a positive charge on the surface thereof; (d) adding a surfactant to the mixture of step (c) and removing the organic solvent; (e) adding an initiator to the result of step (d) to polymerize the same; and (f) firing the result of step (e) to remove the polymer particles so as to form macropores.

A composition of matter includes a liquid and nanoparticles suspended in the liquid. The nanoparticles each include silica, alumina, and an organosilicon functional group having a molecular weight of at least 200. A method includes functionalizing a surface of nanoparticles with an organosilicon functional group and dispersing the nanoparticles in a liquid to form a suspension. The functional group has a molecular weight of at least 200. The nanoparticles each include silica and alumina at a surface thereof.

A process for producing doped nanoparticles, in particular for N-doped nanoparticles, includes a hydrothermal process using an organic nitrogen-containing compound or a mineral acid having at least one nitrogen atom. In particular, the photocatalytically active particles produced are characterized by a particularly high activity even in visible light.

Colloids comprising inorganic nanocrystals dispersed in a molten salt or a liquid metal are provided. The molten salt may comprise an ion which is a Lewis acid or a Lewis base in the presence of the inorganic nanocrystals. Solid composites formed from the colloids are also provided. Methods of using the colloids as media for inducing chemical transformations using the inorganic nanocrystals are also provided.

A method for preparing porous inorganic particles is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: (a) preparing an emulsion comprising an inorganic precursor and a polar solvent; (b) adding an organic solvent to the emulsion of step (a) to swell emulsion particles; (c) mixing the swollen emulsion of step (b) with polymer particles having a positive charge on the surface thereof; (d) adding a surfactant to the mixture of step (c) and removing the organic solvent; (e) adding an initiator to the result of step (d) to polymerize the same; and (f) firing the result of step (e) to remove the polymer particles so as to form macropores.

Methods and systems for manufacturing a mixed-metal part by preparing a mixed-metal sol-gel as a feed material and using an additive manufacturing technique to form the mixed-metal part from the mixed-metal sol-gel feed material.