Methods of determining and controlling the deformability of ceramic materials, as a nonlimiting example, YSZ, particularly through the application of a flash sintering process, and to ceramic materials produced by such methods. Such a method includes providing a nanocrystalline powder of a ceramic material, making a compact of the powder, and subjecting the compact to flash sintering by applying an electric field and thermal energy to the compact.

A polycrystalline material having low mechanical strain is provided. The polycrystalline material includes one or multiple layers of a first type and one or multiple layers of a second type. The layers of the first type and the layers of the second type each include at least one polycrystalline material component. The layers of the first type have a smaller average crystal grain size than the layers of the second type, a layer of the first type and a layer of the second type being situated, at least in part, one above the other in an alternating sequence, and it being the case for the transition between the layers of the first type and the layers of the second type to be abrupt or continuous.

A positive electrode active material includes a lithium transition metal oxide represented by Formula 1, wherein the lithium transition metal oxide includes a center portion having a layered structure and a surface portion having a secondary phase with a structure different from that of the center portion.

Li.sub.1a(Ni.sub.xCo.sub.yM.sup.1.sub.zM.sup.2.sub.w).sub.1aO.sub.2[Formula 1]

In Formula 1, 0a0.2, 0.6x1, 0y0.4, 0z0.4, and 0w0.1, M.sup.1 includes at least one selected from the group consisting of manganese (Mn) and aluminum (Al), and M.sup.2 includes at least one selected from the group consisting of zirconium (Zr), boron (B), tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), chromium (Cr), tantalum (Ta), niobium (Nb), magnesium (Mg), cerium (Ce), hafnium (Hf), lanthanum (La), titanium (Ti), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), fluorine (F), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), and yttrium (Y). A method of preparing the positive active material is also provided.

Bandgap-tunable perovskite compositions are provided having the formula CsPb(A.sub.xB.sub.y).sub.3, wherein A and B are each a halogen. The mixed halide perovskite composition has a morphology which suppresses phase segregation to stabilize a tuned bandgap of the mixed halide perovskite composition. For example, the perovskite may be in the form of nanocrystals embedded in a non-perovskite matrix, which, for example, may have the formula Cs.sub.4Pb(A.sub.xB.sub.y).sub.6, wherein A and B are each a halogen. Solar cells and light-emitting diodes comprising the mixed perovskite compositions are also provided.

The present invention relates to a molecular sieve, particularly to an ultra-macroporous molecular sieve. The present invention also relates to a process for the preparation of the molecular sieve and to its application as an adsorbent, a catalyst, or the like. The molecular sieve has a unique X-ray diffraction pattern and a unique crystal particle morphology. The molecular sieve can be produced by using a compound represented by the following formula (I), ##STR00001## wherein the definition of each group and value is the same as that provided in the specification, as an organic template. The molecular sieve is capable of adsorbing more/larger molecules, thereby exhibiting excellent adsorptive/catalytic properties.

A composite having a composition expressed by A.sub.nX.sub.yM.sub.m wherein, A represents a lanthanoid that is in a trivalent state at least partially or entirely, X represents an element that is a Group-2 element in the periodic table selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr, and Ba, or a lanthanoid that is different from A, M represents an element that is a Group-1 element in the periodic table, a Group-2 element selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr, and Ba, or a lanthanoid that is different from A and X, n satisfies 0<n<1, y satisfies 0<y<1, m satisfies 0m<1, and n+y+m=1.

Provided is a complex oxide that has a high hydrogen content, contains almost no impurity phase, and is suitable for proton conductivity. The complex oxide is represented by a chemical formula Li.sub.7-xH.sub.xLa.sub.3M.sub.2O.sub.12 (M represents Zr and/or Hf, and 3.2<x7) and is a single phase of a garnet type structure belonging to a cubic system. A method for producing the complex oxide includes an exchange step of bringing a raw material complex oxide represented by a chemical formula Li.sub.7-xH.sub.xLa.sub.3M.sub.2O.sub.12 (M represents Zr and/or Hf, and 0x3.2) and a compound having a hydroxy group or a carboxyl group into contact with each other to exchange at least some of lithium of the raw material complex oxide and hydrogen of the compound having a hydroxy group or a carboxyl group.

Provided is a composite metal oxide which is represented by Formula (1) and has an -NaFeO.sub.2 type crystal structure, in which a peak half value width of a (104) plane to be measured by powder X-ray diffraction is 0.250 or less at 2.

Na.sub.xM.sup.1.sub.r(Fe.sub.yNi.sub.zMn.sub.wM.sub.1yzw)O.sub.2(1) (in Formula (1), M represents any one or more elements selected from the group consisting of B, Si, V, Ti, Co, Mo, Pd, Re, Pb, and Bi, M.sup.1 represents any one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Mg and Ca, and relations 0r0.1, 0.5x1.0, 0.1y0.5, 0<z<0.4, 0<w<0.4, 00.05, and y+z+w1 are satisfied)

A composite cathode active material, a cathode and a lithium battery each including the composite cathode active material, and a method of manufacturing the composite cathode active material. The composite cathode active material includes a core including a plurality of primary particles, and a shell disposed on the core, wherein a primary particle of the plurality of primary particles includes a lithium nickel transition metal oxide, the shell includes a first composition and a second composition, wherein the first composition contains a first metal and the second composition contains a second metal, wherein the first metal includes a metal of Groups 2, 4, 5, and 7 to 15, the second metal includes a metal of Group 3, and the first composition includes a first phase and the second composition includes a second phase that is distinguishable from the first phase.

Provided is polycrystalline diamond having a diamond single phase as basic composition, in which the polycrystalline diamond includes a plurality of crystal grains and contains boron, at least either of nitrogen and silicon, and a remainder including carbon and trace impurities; the boron is dispersed in the crystal grains at an atomic level, and greater than or equal to 90 atomic % of the boron is present in an isolated substitutional type; the nitrogen and the silicon are present in an isolated substitutional type or an interstitial type in the crystal grains; each of the crystal grains has a grain size of less than or equal to 500 nm; and the polycrystalline diamond has a surface covered with a protective film.