A method for the preparation of an amorphous silica-alumina composition is provided that advantageously utilizes as a component oxidized disulfide oil, for example derived from a waste refinery stream of disulfide oil. The amorphous silica-alumina is formed from an aqueous mixture of an aluminum source, a silica source, oxidized disulfide oil, an alkali metal source and optionally a structure directing agent, which is heating under conditions and for a time effective to form the amorphous silica-alumina.

A method for producing a silica sol containing a small amount of metal impurities and wherein colloidal silica having an elongated particle shape is dispersed in a solvent, by addition of a compound as an anion source and ammonia as an alkali source and heating of the resultant mixture at a predetermined temperature, includes the following steps: (a) preparing a raw material liquid by adding at least one compound as an anion source selected from the group of inorganic acids, organic acids, and ammonium salts of these acids, and ammonia to a silica sol as a raw material having SiO.sub.2 of 1% by mass to 30% by mass and a pH of 2 to 5 so the mass ratio of the compound to SiO.sub.2 is 0.5% to 1.9%; and (b) heating the raw material liquid prepared in step (a) at 80° C. to 200° C. for 0.5 hours to 20 hours.

Provided is a boron-containing amorphous silica powder more excellent in terms of low temperature sinterability than conventional silica powders. The present invention relates to amorphous silica powder containing boron atoms, the boron-containing amorphous silica powder having an average particle size of 10 to 100 nm, as determined from 40 particles selected at random in a transmission electron micrograph, the boron-containing amorphous silica powder having a decrement in a boron content of 10 mass % or less, when fired under the following conditions:

<Firing conditions>

5 to 10 g of a dried product of the boron-containing amorphous silica powder is filled into an alumina crucible, heated in the atmosphere at 200° C./hour to 1000° C. to 1100° C., maintained as it is for 5 hours, and cooled to room temperature.

A composition of graphene-based nanomaterials characterized by at least one area of one atomic layer of graphene monoxide, wherein at least a portion of oxygen molecules present in the graphene monoxide are incorporated into specific crystalline structural moieties, methods of making the same, electrodes in electrochemical devices incorporating the same, and compositions of lithium and graphene monoxide containing materials that result from cycling said electrodes.

An electrochemical device includes an anode having sodium or lithium; a cathode having a carbonaceous material; a separator; and an electrolyte that includes a metal halide, a fluorinated electrolyte compound, and thionyl chloride; wherein the electrochemical device is a primary battery or a secondary battery.

Silicon carbon composite materials and related processes are disclosed that overcome the challenges for providing amorphous nano sized silicon entrained within porous carbon. Compared to other, inferior materials and processes described in the prior art, the materials and processes disclosed herein find superior utility in various applications, including energy storage devices such as lithium ion batteries.

Disclosed herein is a method comprising a) forming a mixture comprising: i) an aromatic nitrogen-containing compound, ii) a saccharide; and iii) a silica precursor; b) adding an amount of water to the mixture to initiate a condensation reaction; and c) precipitating a plurality of amorphous silica-based nanoparticles. Also disclosed herein is a plurality of amorphous silica-based nanoparticles, scaffolds, and devices comprising the same, in addition to methods of using the same.

The present invention relates to: layered gallium arsenide (GaAs), which is more particularly layered GaAs, which, unlike the conventional bulk GaAs, has a two-dimensional crystal structure, has the ability to be easily exfoliated into nanosheets, and exhibits excellent electrical properties by having a structure that enables easy charge transport in the in-plane direction; a method of preparing the same; and a GaAs nanosheet exfoliated from the same.

A lithium-ion secondary battery negative electrode mixture includes a conductive additive and porous amorphous silicon particles including an amorphous silicon phase. The porous amorphous silicon particles have a lamellar structure including lamellar protrusions having an average thickness in a range of 1 nm or more and 200 nm or less, a columnar structure including columnar protrusions having an average diameter in a range of 1 nm or more and 100 nm or less, or a co-continuous structure including the lamellar protrusions and the columnar protrusions.

According to one embodiment, provided is a tungsten oxide powder including primary particles having an average particle size of 100 nm or less. Each of the primary particles include a crystal phase and an amorphous phase coexisting in each primary particle.