A process for preparing a composite material comprising an electride compound and an additive, said process comprising (i) providing a composition comprising the additive and a precursor compound of the electride compound, wherein the precursor compound comprises an oxidic compound of the garnet group, and wherein the additive has a boiling temperature which is higher than the melting temperature of the precursor compound; (ii) heating the composition provided in (i) under plasma forming conditions in a gas atmosphere to a temperature above the Httig temperature of the precursor compound and below the boiling temperature of the additive, obtaining the composite material.

An oxygen reduction catalyst containing as constituent elements cobalt, sulfur, and a transition metal element M being at least one element selected from chromium and molybdenum, the oxygen reduction catalyst being ascertained to have a crystal structure of a cobalt disulfide cubic crystal in powder X-ray diffraction measurement, and having a molar ratio of the transition metal element M to cobalt (M/cobalt) of 5/95 to 15/85. Also disclosed is an electrode having a catalyst layer containing the oxygen reduction catalyst, a membrane electrode assembly including a polymer electrolyte membrane wherein the electrode serves as a cathode and/or an anode, and a fuel cell including the membrane electrode assembly.

Described herein are metallic excavated nanoframes and methods for producing metallic excavated nanoframes. A method may include providing a solution including a plurality of excavated nanoparticles dispersed in a solvent, and exposing the solution to chemical corrosion to convert the plurality of excavated nanoparticles into a plurality of excavated nanoframes.

The present invention discloses a water oxidation catalyst having composition Zn.sub.xCo.sub.(3-x)O.sub.4 for splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen gas and a process for the preparation thereof.

Core-shell nanoparticles having a solid core comprising a first metal and a shell comprising a second metal disposed at least a portion of the exterior surface of the core. The core-shell nanoparticles comprise a non-precious transition metal and the second metal comprises a precious metal or semi-precious metal. The core-shell nanoparticles can be used to catalyze oxygen reduction reactions. Also provided are compositions comprising the core-shell nanoparticles, methods of making same, and devices of same.

The manufacturing method provided by the present invention provides a powder material substantially comprising AgPd core-shell particles consisting of Ag core particles containing silver as a principal constituent element and a Pd shell containing palladium as a principal constituent element covering at least part of the surface of the Ag core particles, wherein hydroquinone and/or a quinone is attached to the surface of the AgPd core-shell particles.

Typically, when the powder material is in a dispersed state in a specific medium, a Z average particle diameter (D.sub.DLS) based on the dynamic light scattering (DLS) method is 0.1 m to 2 m, and the polydispersity index (PDI) based on the dynamic light scattering method is 0.4 or lower.

Titania is a semiconductor and photocatalyst that is also chemically inert. With its bandgap of 3.2 and greater, to activate the photocatalytic property of titania requires light of about 390 nm wavelength, which is in the ultra-violet, where sunlight is very low in intensity. A method and devices are disclosed wherein stress is induced and managed in a thin film of titania in order to shift and lower the bandgap energy into the longer wavelengths that are more abundant in sunlight. Applications of this stress-induced bandgap-shifted titania photocatalytic surface include photoelectrolysis for production of hydrogen gas from water, photovoltaics for production of electricity, and photocatalysis for detoxification and disinfection.

A catalyst support may be provided that comprises: an inner core, which includes at least one phase change material; a coating layer around the inner core, which includes at least one metal oxide; a catalytically active layer, which is positioned in interstices of the coating layer and/or lying on the coating layer, wherein at least one catalytically active substance is included in the catalytically active layer; and a supporting layer which is positioned under the coating layer. A recycle reactor may be provided comprising a reservoir for accommodating a chemical hydrogen storage substance; the catalyst support; a screw conveyor for input and transport of the catalyst support; and a heating device with which the catalyst support can be heated. A method for releasing hydrogen from a chemical hydrogen storage substance may be provided.

A method of reducing an aromatic ring under relatively mild condition using sub-nano particles of a transition metal supported on super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). The catalyst is efficient for catalyzing the reduction of both carbocyclic and heterocyclic compound. In compound comprising both carbocyclic and heterocyclic aromatic rings, the catalyst displays high regioselectivity for the heterocyclic ring.

A component of an exhaust system is provided. The component includes a housing extending from an inlet at a first end to an outlet at an opposing second end, an electrically conductive material disposed within the housing, and an induction coil configured to emit a magnetic field. The magnetic field is operable to heat the electrically conductive material from a first temperature of greater than or equal to about 20 C. to less than or equal to about 50 C. to a second temperature of greater than or equal to about 200 C. to less than or equal to about 700 C. in a time period of less than or equal to about 20 seconds.