A chalcogen-containing compound of the following Chemical Formula 1 which exhibits excellent phase stability even at a low temperature, particularly at a temperature corresponding to an operating temperature of a thermoelectric element, and also exhibits a significantly superior power factor and thermoelectric performance index due to its excellent electrical conductivity and low thermal conductivity caused by its unique crystal lattice structure, a method for preparing the same, and a thermoelectric element including the same. [Chemical Formula 1]V.sub.1-2xSn.sub.4Bi.sub.2-xAg.sub.3xSe.sub.7, wherein V is vacancy and 0<x<0.5.

The present application discloses a thermoelectric material, which contains CsAg.sub.5Te.sub.3 crystal material. At 700K, the thermoelectric material has an optimum dimensionless figure-of-merit ZT as high as 1.6 and a high stability, and the thermoelectric material can be recycled. The present application also discloses a method for preparing the CsAg.sub.5Te.sub.3 crystal material. The CsAg.sub.5Te.sub.3 crystal material is one-step synthesized by a high-temperature solid-state method, using a raw material containing Cs, Ag and Te, so that the high-purity product is obtained while the synthesis time is greatly shortened.

The present invention relates generally to compositions and methods of killing fungi using a surface plasmon coupled to a photosensitizer. A nanostructure (10) may include a silver nanoparticle core (12), a mesoporous silica shell (14), and a photosensitizer (16). A method of killing fungi may include contacting fungi with a nanostructure (10) including a silver nanoparticle core (12), a mesoporous silica shell (14), and a photosensitizer (16) to form a blend and exposing the blend to light.

A method to synthesize a silver nanohybrid material. The method includes mixing a nitrate solution with a citrate solution to form silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The method further includes esterifying a first mixture including octadecanoic acid, octadec-9-enoic acid, and octadeca-9,12-dienoic acid with caffeic acid in the presence of an acid catalyst and a solvent to form an unsaturated carboxylic acid mixture including first, second, and third acrylic acid derivatives. The method includes reacting the unsaturated carboxylic acid mixture with ethylene glycol to form a second mixture including first, second, and third ester derivatives. The method further includes mixing the AgNPs with the second mixture to form a third mixture. The method includes evaporating water from the third mixture to form the silver nanohybrid material. The silver nanohybrid material includes a AgNP core covered with the first, second, and third ester derivatives bonded to the AgNP core.

A deodorizing/antibacterial/antifungal agent containing two kinds of fine particles, (i) titanium oxide fine particles and (ii) alloy fine particles containing an antibacterial/antifungal metal, gives a thin film of high transparency which has deodorizing properties and also exhibits antibacterial/antifungal properties.

A method is used to prepare silver nanoparticle cellulosic polymer composites. A cellulosic polymer, reducible silver ions in an amount of a weight ratio to the cellulosic polymer of 5:1 to 50:1, and an organic solvent are mixed. Each organic solvent has a boiling point at atmospheric pressure of 100 C. to 500 C. The Hansen parameter (.sub.T.sup.Polymer) of the cellulosic polymer is less than or equal to the Hansen parameter (.sub.T.sup.Solvent) of the organic solvent. The resulting premix solution is heated to at least 75 C., and a (d) nitrogenous base is added to provide a concentration of the nitrogenous base in an equimolar amount or in molar excess in relation to the amount of reducible silver ions, thereby forming a silver nanoparticle cellulosic polymer composite. After cooling, the silver nanoparticle cellulosic polymer composite is isolated and re-dispersed in an organic solvent to provide a non-aqueous silver-containing dispersion.

A non-aqueous silver-containing dispersion is prepared containing a silver nanoparticle composite comprising silver and a cellulosic polymers so that the silver nanoparticle composite is present at a weight ratio to a cellulosic polymers of at least 5:1 and up to and including 50:1. This dispersion also contains an organic solvent that has a boiling point, at atmospheric pressure, of 100 C. to 500 C. The Hansen parameter (.sub.T.sup.Polymer) of the cellulosic polymer is less than or equal to the Hansen parameter (.sub.T.sup.Solvent) of the organic solvent. A nitrogenous base having a pKa in acetonitrile of 15 to 25 at 25 C. is also present in an equimolar amount or molar excess in relation to the amount of silver.

A method is used to prepare silver nanoparticle cellulosic polymer composites. A cellulosic polymer, reducible silver ions in an amount of a weight ratio to the cellulosic polymer of 5:1 to 50:1, and an organic solvent are mixed. Each organic solvent has a boiling point at atmospheric pressure of 100 C. to 500 C. The Hansen parameter (.sub.T.sup.Polymer) of the cellulosic polymer is less than or equal to the Hansen parameter (.sub.T.sup.Solvent) of the organic solvent. The resulting premix solution is heated to at least 75 C., and a (d) nitrogenous base is added to provide a concentration of the nitrogenous base in an equimolar amount or in molar excess in relation to the amount of reducible silver ions, thereby forming a silver nanoparticle cellulosic polymer composite. After cooling, the silver nanoparticle cellulosic polymer composite is isolated and re-dispersed in an organic solvent to provide a non-aqueous silver-containing dispersion.

The present invention relates generally to compositions and methods of killing fungi using a surface plasmon coupled to a photosensitizer. A nanostructure (10) may include a silver nanoparticle core (12), a mesoporous silica shell (14), and a photosensitizer (16). A method of killing fungi may include contacting fungi with a nanostructure (10) including a silver nanoparticle core (12), a mesoporous silica shell (14), and a photosensitizer (16) to form a blend and exposing the blend to light.

A process for recovering silver from silver-bearing gold concentrate or other silver-bearing material which may comprise adding oxygen, water, and/or acid to an acidulated concentrate slurry of an input silver bearing material and reacting them together in an autoclave at an elevated pressure and temperature in a pressure oxidation step; processing the oxidized concentrate slurry in a post pressure oxidation conditioning step; applying a first solid/liquid separation and wash step and a filter and wash step to form a first washed slurry/solid and first acid-containing solutions; reacting the first washed slurry/solid with sulfur dioxide in a reductive leach step; applying a second solid/liquid separation and wash step to form a second washed slurry/solid and second acid-containing solutions; and applying an optional surface cleaning step, to produce a free-milling silver-bearing material, which is amenable to conventional cyanidation to recover the silver therefrom.