A method for the rapid and controlled synthesis of mixed metal oxide nanoparticles using relatively low temperature plasma oxidation of liquid droplets of predetermined mixed metal precursors is disclosed. The resulting nanoparticles reflect the metal precursor stoichiometries and the mixed metal oxide's metastable phase can be controlled. The synthesis of mixed transition metal oxide comprising binary metal oxides, ternary mixed metal oxides, quaternary mixed metal oxides and pentanary mixed metal oxides are demonstrated herein.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a lithium manganese oxide-based material useful in applications such as for pseudocapacitors and lithium ions batteries. More specifically, by synthesizing manganese oxide nanoparticles and mixing them with lithium salts, and conducting stepwise heat treatment processes under optimized conditions, a lithium manganese oxide-based material with excellent specific capacitance, having a high surface area with a small size, can be prepared.

Preparation, characterization, and an electrochemical study of Mg.sub.0.1V.sub.2O.sub.5 prepared by a novel sol-gel method with no high-temperature post-processing are disclosed. Cyclic voltammetry showed the material to be quasi-reversible, with improved kinetics in an acetonitrile-, relative to a carbonate-, based electrolyte. Galvanostatic test data under a C/10 discharge showed a delivered capacity >250 mAh/g over several cycles. Based on these results, a magnesium anode battery, as disclosed, would yield an average operating voltage 3.2 Volts with an energy density 800 mWh/g for the cathode material, making the newly synthesized material a viable cathode material for secondary magnesium batteries.

The present invention provides a solid-phase catalyst for decomposing hydrogen peroxide comprising a permanganate salt and a manganese (II) salt. The solid-phase catalyst stays a solid state in the form of nanoparticles at the time of hydrogen peroxide decomposition, and thus can be recovered for reuse and also has an excellent decomposition rate. In the method for producing a solid-phase catalyst for decomposing hydrogen peroxide according to the present invention, a solid-phase catalyst is produced from a solution containing a permanganate salt, a manganese (II) salt, and an organic acid, so that the produced solid-phase catalyst is precipitated as a solid component even after a catalytic reaction, and thus is reusable and environmentally friendly, and cost reduction can be achieved through the simplification of a catalyst production technique.

Provided are a black mixed oxide that contains chromium per se of any valency as a main component, and fails to contain cobalt as the main component material, and has a high safety, an excellent color tone and economical efficiency, and a method for producing the same, and various products using the black mixed oxide material. The mixed oxides comprise oxides containing La, Mn and Cu as main components but containing neither Cr nor Co as a main component, wherein the contents of La, Mn and Cu in the mixed oxides satisfy the following ratios, as oxide equivalent amount with respect to 100% by weight of the oxide equivalent amount: the La content as La.sub.2O.sub.3 being 35-70 wt %; the Mn content as MnO.sub.2 being 25-60 wt %; and the Cu content as CuO being 0.5-10 wt %.

Process for the fabrication of an electrode structure comprising an electrochemically active material suitable for use in an energy storage device. The method includes electrodepositing the electrochemically active material onto an electrode in electrodeposition bath containing a non-aqueous electrolyte. The electrode structure can be used for various applications such as electrochemical energy storage devices including high power and high-energy lithium-ion batteries.

High power lithium-ion batteries are disclosed. Such batteries may be used, for example, as the sole electric starter motor power sources for automotive vehicles powered by multi-cylinder engines with reciprocating pistons when the vehicles are to be operated in an engine start-stop mode to conserve fuel. Such batteries typically utilize non-aqueous solutions of lithium salts, such as LiPF.sub.6 or LiBF.sub.4, in combination with durable lithium intercalating electrodes. In accordance with this disclosure the performance of the battery's electrolyte and cells over a wide ambient temperature range is enhanced by a mixture of five miscible solvents formed of lower alkyl moieties. The quinary solvent mixture comprises two cyclic alkyl carbonates, two linear alkyl carbonates, and with a major portion of an alkyl ester.

Provided are a method of manufacturing a cathode active material including a first step of preparing a metal glycolate solution, a second step of mixing lithium-containing transition metal oxide particles and the metal glycolate solution and stirring in a paste state, a third step of drying the paste-state mixture, and a fourth step of performing a heat treatment on the dried mixture, a cathode active material including a metal oxide layer which is manufactured by the above method, and a secondary battery composed of a cathode including the cathode active material.

Vessels selected from crucibles, pans, open cups and saggars essentially comprising of two components, from which (A) one component being a ceramic matrix composite, and (B) the second component being from metal or alloy, and wherein component (A) is the inner one.

Electrode materials for electrochemical cells and batteries and methods of producing such materials are disclosed herein. A method of preparing an active lithium metal oxide material suitable for use in an electrode for a lithium electrochemical cell comprises the steps of: (a) contacting the lithium metal oxide material with an aqueous acidic solution containing one or more metal cations; and (b) heating the so-contacted lithium metal oxide from step (a) to dryness at a temperature below 200 C. The metal cations in the aqueous acidic solution comprise one or more metal cations selected from the group consisting of an alkaline earth metal ion, a transition metal ion, and a main group metal ion.