Fine particles that can be sintered and grow to 100 nm or larger without oxidation even when retained at a baking temperature in an oxygen-containing atmosphere and that can suppress oxidation in a long-term preservation in the air or other oxygen-containing atmospheres, a method of producing the fine particles, and a method of producing fine particles that can suppress oxidation in a collecting process after the production of the fine particles. A fine particle production method for producing fine particles using feedstock powder by means of a gas-phase process includes a step of producing fine particle bodies by converting the feedstock powder into a mixture in a gas phase state using a gas-phase process and cooling the mixture in a gas phase state with a quenching gas containing an inert gas and a hydrocarbon gas having 4 or less carbon atoms, and a step of supplying an organic acid to the produced fine particle bodies.

Fine particles that can be sintered and grow to 100 nm or larger without oxidation even when retained at a baking temperature in an oxygen-containing atmosphere and that can suppress oxidation in a long-term preservation in the air or other oxygen-containing atmospheres, a method of producing the fine particles, and a method of producing fine particles that can suppress oxidation in a collecting process after the production of the fine particles. A fine particle production method for producing fine particles using feedstock powder by means of a gas-phase process includes a step of producing fine particle bodies by converting the feedstock powder into a mixture in a gas phase state using a gas-phase process and cooling the mixture in a gas phase state with a quenching gas containing an inert gas and a hydrocarbon gas having 4 or less carbon atoms, and a step of supplying an organic acid to the produced fine particle bodies.

Provided is a fine particle production apparatus and a fine particle production method capable of easily obtaining surface treated fine particles. The fine particle production apparatus produces fine particles using feedstock by means of a gas-phase process. The apparatus includes a treatment section configured to transform the feedstock into a mixture in a gas phase state by means of the gas-phase process, a feedstock supply section configured to supply the feedstock to the treatment section, a cooling section configured to cool the mixture in a gas phase state in the treatment section using a quenching gas containing an inert gas, and a supply section configured to supply a surface treating agent to fine particle bodies in a temperature region in which the surface treating agent is not denatured, the fine particle bodies being produced by cooling the mixture in the gas phase state with the quenching gas.

An anode catalyst layer of an electrochemical cell includes an anode catalyst material. The anode catalyst material is a Pt-based alloy. The Pt-based alloy is a binary Pt-M alloy, where M is Ge, Se, Ag, Sb, Os, or Tl. The Pt-based alloy is a ternary Pt-M.sup.I-M.sup.II alloy, where M.sup.I is Ru, Ge, or Mo, and M.sup.II is Ir, Os, Tl, Au, Bi, Se, or Pd.

Disclosed are Self-Gelling materials and structures or materials or structures having one or more self-gelling components that overcome existing gel limitations due to hydrogel localization for medical applications by providing, for example, 1) microstructurally, or physically, anchored characteristics to help localize the gel, and the overall printed, or otherwise formed structure, giving structural form to the gel that allows the gel to be localized within the body, and even sutured in place, and mitigates gel migration and extends its residence time; 2) to provide an underlying 3D printed structure to help contain and support the gel after implantation; and more. Self-Gelling 3D printed structures may be further processed via milling to yield deconstructed scaffold micro-granules, with the composition and nano-/micro- structure of the original larger structure. Deconstructed scaffold micro-granules may be hydrated to form a micro-granule embedded gel network that can be injected, giving form to injectable gels.

Disclosed are Self-Gelling materials and structures or materials or structures having one or more self-gelling components that overcome existing gel limitations due to hydrogel localization for medical applications by providing, for example, 1) microstructurally, or physically, anchored characteristics to help localize the gel, and the overall printed, or otherwise formed structure, giving structural form to the gel that allows the gel to be localized within the body, and even sutured in place, and mitigates gel migration and extends its residence time; 2) to provide an underlying 3D printed structure to help contain and support the gel after implantation; and more. Self-Gelling 3D printed structures may be further processed via milling to yield deconstructed scaffold micro-granules, with the composition and nano-/micro- structure of the original larger structure. Deconstructed scaffold micro-granules may be hydrated to form a micro-granule embedded gel network that can be injected, giving form to injectable gels.

A method of manufacturing a chiral nano-structure having chirality using a magnetic field according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a magnetic field forming operation that forms a magnetic field; a particle arranging operation that arranges at least two nanoparticles in the magnetic field; and a magnetic field adjusting operation that adjusts at least one of a magnetic flux density, a magnetization direction, and a spatial range of the magnetic field, in which in the magnetic field adjusting operation, the arrangement of the nanoparticles arranged in the magnetic field is aligned to correspond to a structure of the magnetic field, and the entire structure is formed as a nano-structure having chirality.

The invention relates to a method to form copper nanoparticles. The method comprises heating a solution comprising a copper precursor comprising at least one neat copper carboxylate in a concentration of at least 0.2 M, a stabilizer comprising an amine in a concentration equal or larger than the concentration of the copper precursor and optionally a solvent to a temperature T1 to form metallic copper. The solution is then heated to a temperature T2, with the temperature T2 being at least 10° C. higher than the temperature T1. The solution is heated from temperature T1 to temperature T2 with an average rate of at least 2 degrees per minute.

The invention further relates to copper nanoparticles obtainable by such method and to formulations comprising such nanoparticles.

The invention relates to a method to form copper nanoparticles. The method comprises heating a solution comprising a copper precursor comprising at least one neat copper carboxylate in a concentration of at least 0.2 M, a stabilizer comprising an amine in a concentration equal or larger than the concentration of the copper precursor and optionally a solvent to a temperature T1 to form metallic copper. The solution is then heated to a temperature T2, with the temperature T2 being at least 10° C. higher than the temperature T1. The solution is heated from temperature T1 to temperature T2 with an average rate of at least 2 degrees per minute.

The invention further relates to copper nanoparticles obtainable by such method and to formulations comprising such nanoparticles.

A powder material includes metal particles including an iron alloy and having an average particle diameter of 10 μm or larger and 500 μm or smaller, and nanoparticles including a metal or a metal compound and having undergone no surface treatment with an organic substance.