Ceramic black materials for use as, or in, colorants, inks, pigments, dyes, additives and formulations utilizing these black materials. Black ceramics having silicon, oxygen and carbon, and methods of making these ceramics; formulations utilizing these black ceramics; and devices, structures and apparatus that have or utilize these formulations. Plastics, paints, inks, coatings, formulations, liquids and adhesives containing ceramic black materials, preferably polymer derived black ceramic materials, and in particular polysilocarb polymer derived ceramic materials.

The present invention relates to a negative electrode active material including silicon-based oxide particles and a metal distributed on a surface, inside, or on the surface of and the inside the silicon-based oxide particles, wherein compressive fracture strength measured at a pressure of 100 mN is 170 MPa to 380 MPa, and the silicon-based oxide particles contain Si crystal grains having a crystal grain size of 3 nm to 20 nm.

A silicon nanoparticle-containing hydrogen polysilsesquioxane sintered product-metal oxide complex comprising a silicon nanoparticle-containing hydrogen polysilsesquioxane sintered product and a metal oxide, wherein the silicon nanoparticle-containing hydrogen polysilsesquioxane sintered product contains 5 wt % to 95 wt % of silicon nanoparticles having a volume-based mean particle size of more than 10 nm but less than 500 nm, and a hydrogen polysilsesquioxane-derived silicon oxide structure that coats the silicon nanoparticles and is chemically bonded to the surfaces of the silicon nanoparticles. The silicon nanoparticle-containing hydrogen polysilsesquioxane sintered product is represented by the general formula SiO.sub.xH.sub.y (0.01<x<1.35, 0<y<0.35) and has Si—H bonds. The metal oxide consists of one or more metals selected from titanium, zinc, zirconium, aluminum, and iron.

A silicon nanoparticle-containing hydrogen polysilsesquioxane sintered product-metal oxide complex comprising a silicon nanoparticle-containing hydrogen polysilsesquioxane sintered product and a metal oxide, wherein the silicon nanoparticle-containing hydrogen polysilsesquioxane sintered product contains 5 wt % to 95 wt % of silicon nanoparticles having a volume-based mean particle size of more than 10 nm but less than 500 nm, and a hydrogen polysilsesquioxane-derived silicon oxide structure that coats the silicon nanoparticles and is chemically bonded to the surfaces of the silicon nanoparticles. The silicon nanoparticle-containing hydrogen polysilsesquioxane sintered product is represented by the general formula SiO.sub.xH.sub.y (0.01<x<1.35, 0<y<0.35) and has Si—H bonds. The metal oxide consists of one or more metals selected from titanium, zinc, zirconium, aluminum, and iron.

Embodiments of the invention include articles incorporating fibrous fragments of mats of silica fibers and methods for producing such articles. The fiber mats may be formed via electrospinning of a sol gel produced with a silicon alkoxide reagent, such as tetraethyl ortho silicate, alcohol solvent, and an acid catalyst.

Embodiments of the invention include articles incorporating fibrous fragments of mats of silica fibers and methods for producing such articles. The fiber mats may be formed via electrospinning of a sol gel produced with a silicon alkoxide reagent, such as tetraethyl ortho silicate, alcohol solvent, and an acid catalyst.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing silicon-based active material particles for a secondary battery and silicon-based active material particles. The method for preparing silicon-based active material particles according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: providing silicon powder; dispersing the silicon powder into an oxidant solvent to provide a mixture prior to grinding; fine-graining the silicon powder by applying mechanical compression and shear stress to the silicon powder in the mixture prior to grinding to produce silicon particles; producing a layer of chemical oxidation on the fine-grained silicon particles with the oxidant solvent while applying mechanical compression and shear stress to produce silicon-based active material particles; and drying the resulting product comprising the silicon-based active material particles to yield silicon-based active material particles.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing silicon-based active material particles for a secondary battery and silicon-based active material particles. The method for preparing silicon-based active material particles according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: providing silicon powder; dispersing the silicon powder into an oxidant solvent to provide a mixture prior to grinding; fine-graining the silicon powder by applying mechanical compression and shear stress to the silicon powder in the mixture prior to grinding to produce silicon particles; producing a layer of chemical oxidation on the fine-grained silicon particles with the oxidant solvent while applying mechanical compression and shear stress to produce silicon-based active material particles; and drying the resulting product comprising the silicon-based active material particles to yield silicon-based active material particles.

Disclosed are a method for producing an optical thin film having a low refractive index, a thin film forming material, an optical thin film, and an optical member. The method for producing an optical thin film includes forming a vapor deposition film by depositing a thin film forming material on an object in a non-oxidizing atmosphere by a physical vapor deposition method; and bringing the vapor deposition film into contact with a first acidic solution comprising an acidic substance in a range of pH 2.5 or more and pH 3.5 or less to obtain a first thin film having voids, wherein the thin film forming material is a mixture comprising indium oxide and silicon oxide, in which the indium oxide is in a range of 0.230 mol or more and 0.270 mol or less with respect to 1 mol of the silicon oxide.

Disclosed are a method for producing an optical thin film having a low refractive index, a thin film forming material, an optical thin film, and an optical member. The method for producing an optical thin film includes forming a vapor deposition film by depositing a thin film forming material on an object in a non-oxidizing atmosphere by a physical vapor deposition method; and bringing the vapor deposition film into contact with a first acidic solution comprising an acidic substance in a range of pH 2.5 or more and pH 3.5 or less to obtain a first thin film having voids, wherein the thin film forming material is a mixture comprising indium oxide and silicon oxide, in which the indium oxide is in a range of 0.230 mol or more and 0.270 mol or less with respect to 1 mol of the silicon oxide.