A process for the steam reforming of hydrocarbons comprises partially oxidising a feedgas comprising a hydrocarbon feedstock with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of steam to form a partially oxidised hydrocarbon gas mixture at a temperature >1200 C. and passing the resultant partially oxidised hydrocarbon gas mixture through a bed of steam reforming catalyst, wherein the bed comprises a first layer and a second layer, each layer comprising a catalytically active metal on an oxidic support wherein the oxidic support for the first layer is a zirconia.

A novel Fischer Tropsch (FT) catalyst that has improved thermal characteristics and a highly active surface catalyst coating on a pellet to produce high quality hydrocarbon liquids and waxes even at high reactor temperatures. The catalyst shows a surprising increase in hydrocarbons and wax formation at high temperature and a much higher specific catalyst activity than demonstrated to date. More generally, a catalyst support, method of making a catalyst, and methods of FT synthesis are described.

Disclosed is a photocatalyst member including a glaze layer and a photocatalyst layer provided on the glaze layer, the photocatalyst layer is good in layer strength, water resistance, or abrasion resistance. More specifically, the photocatalyst member includes a base having a glaze layer and a photocatalyst layer that is provided on the glaze layer and contains titanium oxide and zirconium titanate, wherein the content of zirconium titanate in the photocatalyst layer is 15 to 75% by mass based on the total content of titanium oxide and zirconium titanate, and the content of zirconium titanate in an area from around an interface between the photocatalyst layer and the base to an median line in the thickness of the photocatalyst layer is larger than the content of zirconium titanate in an area near the external surface of the photocatalyst layer.

Multilayer substrates for the growth and/or support of CNT arrays are provided. These multilayer substrates both promote the growth of dense vertically aligned CNT arrays and provide excellent adhesion between the CNTs and metal surfaces. Carbon nanotube arrays formed using multilayer substrates, which exhibit high thermal conductivity and excellent durability, are also provided. These arrays can be used as thermal interface materials.

The pretreatment method for carbon nanotube formation according to the present invention comprises a first plasma treatment process in which catalytic metal fine particles are formed by applying plasma to a catalytic metal layer and atomizing the catalytic metal, and a second plasma treatment process in which the catalytic metal fine particles are activated by applying plasma of a gas mixture, in which a hydrogen-containing gas and a nitrogen gas are mixed, to the catalytic metal fine particles. A co-catalyst layer formed of nitride such as TiN and TaN is preferably disposed below the catalytic metal layer. The co-catalyst layer is nitrated by the plasma of the gas mixture including the hydrogen-containing gas and the nitrogen gas and the activation ratio of the catalytic metal fine particles is increased.

The present invention provides a photocatalyst coated body which can realize a sufficient photocatalytic activity and adhesiveness with a substrate, without significantly impairing an appearance of a substrate, especially an exterior building material. The photocatalyst coated body has a structure including a substrate, an intermediate layer formed on the substrate, and a photocatalyst layer formed on the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer includes inorganic oxide particles having an average particle diameter of nanosize. The photocatalyst layer includes photocatalyst particles having an average particle diameter of more than 0 m to less than 10 m and inorganic oxide particles having an average particle diameter of nanosize. A sum of a film thickness of the intermediate layer and a film thickness of the photocatalyst layer is 0.3 m or more to 1.5 m or less.

A process for the steam reforming of hydrocarbons comprises partially oxidizing a feedgas comprising a hydrocarbon feedstock with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of steam to form a partially oxidized hydrocarbon gas mixture at a temperature >1200 C. and passing the resultant partially oxidized hydrocarbon gas mixture through a bed of steam reforming catalyst, wherein the bed comprises a first layer and a second layer, each layer comprising a catalytically active metal on an oxidic support wherein the oxidic support for the first layer is a zirconia.

A visible-light-responsive photocatalyst powder includes a tungsten oxide powder. When the tungsten oxide powder is measured by X-ray diffractometry, (1) among intensity ratios of a peak A (2=22.8 to 23.4), a peak B (2=23.4 to 23.8), a peak C (2=24.0 to 24.25), and a peak D (2=24.25 to 24.5), an A/D ratio and a B/D ratio each fall within a range of 0.5 to 2.0, and a C/D ratio falls within a range of 0.04 to 2.5, (2) an intensity ratio (E/F) of a peak E (2=33.85 to 34.05) to a peak F (2=34.05 to 34.25) falls within a range of 0.1 to 2.0, and (3) an intensity ratio (G/H) of a peak G (2=49.1 to 49.7) to a peak H (2=49.7 to 50.3) falls within a range of 0.04 to 2.0, and the tungsten oxide powder has a BET specific surface area in a range of 1.5 to 820 m.sup.2/g.

A dielectric multilayer film is composed of a plurality of layers on a substrate. The plurality of layers includes at least one low refractive index layer and at least one high refractive index layer. The uppermost layer farthest from the substrate is the low refractive index layer. The high refractive index layer disposed on a substrate side of the uppermost layer is a functional layer containing a metal oxide with a photocatalytic function. The uppermost layer is a hydrophilic layer containing a metal oxide with a hydrophilic function and has pores that partially expose a surface of the functional layer. The average width of the pores is equal to or greater than 5 nm.

The design of bifunctional catalysts for water splitting by modifying the electronic structure of the catalyst. That bifunctional catalyst that is synthesized is a quaternary FeNiPSe nanoporous film (FeNiPSe NF). A self-supported FeNiPSE NF is synthesized and used as an anode and a cathode in a two-electrode electrolytic cell. The cell is subjected to a water source, and the FeNiPSe NFs split the water molecules to produce hydrogen fuel. The slightly oxidized FeNiPSe surface serves as an active site for oxygen evolution reactions, making hydrogen evolution reactions and oxygen evolution reactions well-balanced, thereby improving electrolysis efficiency.