A titanium oxide compound according to the present invention comprises bronze-type titanium oxide or titanium oxide mainly composed of bronze-type titanium oxide, and contains calcium and/or silicon. The titanium oxide compound contains 0.005 to 2.5 mass % inclusive of calcium or 0.15 to 0.55 mass % inclusive of silicon, or contains 0.005 to 1.2 mass % inclusive of calcium and 0.15 to 0.2 mass % inclusive of silicon, or contains 0.005 to 0.1 mass % inclusive of calcium and 0.15 to 0.5 mass % inclusive of silicon.

This disclosure is geared toward a lithium ion battery cell system. The system includes an anode current collector in contact with an anode, a separator in contact with the anode, an electrolyte, a cathode, an additive layer situated between the separator and the cathode, and a cathode current collector. The additive layer may include at least one of a transition metal sulfide, a transition metal oxide, and a transition metal phosphate.

The present invention provides a method for producing a solution of nanosheets, comprising the step of contacting an intercalated layered material with a polar aprotic solvent to produce a solution of nanosheets, wherein the intercalated layered material is prepared from a layered material selected from the group consisting of a transition metal dichalcogenide, a transition metal monochalcogenide, a transition metal trichalcogenide, a transition metal oxide, a metal halide, an oxychalcogenide, an oxypnictide, an oxyhalide of a transition metal, a trioxide, a perovskite, a niobate, a ruthenate, a layered III-VI semiconductor, black phosphorous and a V-VI layered compound. The invention also provides a solution of nanosheets and a plated material formed from nanosheets.

Disclosed herein is a method for producing a palladium (Pd) decorated two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) composite. The method includes steps of, (a) providing 2D TMD nanosheets; (b) dispersing the 2D TMD nanosheets in water to form a dispersion; (c) mixing the dispersion with palladium acetate to form a mixture; and (d) subjecting the mixture to sonication to deposit Pd nanoparticles on the 2D TMD nanosheets thereby forming the Pd decorated 2D TMD composite. Also disclosed herein is a method of producing hydrogen from an aqueous solution. The method includes electrolyzing the aqueous solution in an electrochemical cell characterizing in having an electrode made from the present Pd decorated 2D TMD composite.