This disclosure relates to a method of producing and patterning of well-defined nanoscale and microscale carbon structures with light using a defect-engineered photocatalyst.

A silicon-carbon composite material, a preparation method thereof, and a secondary battery are provided. The silicon-carbon composite material includes a silicon-carbon composite core and a carbon coating layer coated on the silicon-carbon composite core, and multiple closed pores are dispersed in the silicon-carbon composite core. The preparation method includes steps of (I) a surface modification treatment of a high-molecular polymer, (II) a preparation of a nano-silicon dispersion, (III) a preparation of a first precursor, (IV) a preparation of a second precursor, and (V) carbon coating. The closed pores in the silicon-carbon composite core can effectively alleviate the significant volume effect of silicon generated during lithium intercalation and deintercalation, and the combination of the silicon-carbon composite core and the carbon coating layer can ensure structural stability and high strength of the material.

A composition comprising an active material and method for forming the same. The method for manufacturing an active material can include preparing one or more polychalcogen containing liquids, preparing a graphene nanoplatelet containing liquid, preparing an organic acid liquid, and mixing the various liquids, which can be in the form of liquids, suspensions or emulsions, to form a mixture. Additionally, the method can include filtering the mixture to produce a filtrate, and drying the filtrate to produce the active material.

There is disclosed a fine grained pure titanium having an equiaxed microstructure (a microstructure with an aspect ratio (i.e., the length of a major axis/the length of a minor axis fraction ratio) is less than 3) of 90% or more and an average grain size of 15 ?m or less, and a manufacturing method for the same.

High quality, catalyst-free boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) that are long, flexible, have few wall molecules and few defects in the crystalline structure, can be efficiently produced by a process driven primarily by Direct Induction. Secondary Direct Induction coils, Direct Current heaters, lasers, and electric arcs can provide additional heating to tailor the processes and enhance the quality of the BNNTs while reducing impurities. Heating the initial boron feed stock to temperatures causing it to act as an electrical conductor can be achieved by including refractory metals in the initial boron feed stock, and providing additional heat via lasers or electric arcs. Direct Induction processes may be energy efficient and sustainable for indefinite period of time. Careful heat and gas flow profile management may be used to enhance production of high quality BNNT at significant production rates.

A method of preparing a positive electrode active material includes mixing a positive electrode active material precursor with a lithium raw material and performing a primary heat treatment, and performing a secondary heat treatment at a temperature lower than that of the primary heat treatment to prepare a positive electrode active material. The primary heat treatment and the secondary heat treatment are respectively performed in an oxygen atmosphere. The secondary heat treatment is performed in the oxygen atmosphere with an oxygen concentration of 50% or more.

The composite particles contain alumina particles with a card-house structure formed of three or more plate-like alumina particles that adhere to each other and an inorganic covering portion located on a surface of the plate-like alumina particles and containing a composite metal oxide.

A process for the preparation of nanofilament particles of SiO.sub.x in which x is between 0.8 and 1.2, the process including: a step of a fusion reaction between silica (SiO.sub.2) and silicon (Si), at a temperature of at least about 1410 C., to produce gaseous silicon monoxide (SiO); and a step of condensation of the gaseous SiO to produce the SiO.sub.x nanofilament particles. The process may also include using carbon.

Solid electrolytes, anodes and cathodes for SOFC. Doped BaCeO.sub.3 useful for solid electrolytes and anodes in SOFCs exhibiting chemical stability in the presence of CO.sub.2, water vapor or both and exhibiting proton conductivity sufficiently high for practical application. Proton-conducting metal oxides of formula Ba.sub.1xSr.sub.xCe.sub.1y1y2y3Zr.sub.y1Gd.sub.y2Y.sub.y3O.sub.3 where x, y1, y2, and y3 are numbers as follows: x is 0.4 to 0.6; y1 is 0.1-0.5; y2 is 0.05 to 0.15, y3 is 0.05 to 0.15, and cathode materials of formula II GdPrBaCo.sub.2zFe.sub.zO.sub.5+ where z is a number from 0 to 1, and is a number that varies such that the metal oxide compositions are charge neutral. Anodes, cathodes and solid electrolyte containing such materials. SOFC containing anodes, cathodes and solid electrolyte containing such materials.

A paramagnetic garnet-type transparent ceramic is a sintered body of complex oxide represented by the following formula (1), comprising SiO.sub.2 as a sintering aid in an amount of more than 0% by weight to 0.1% by weight or less, and has a linear transmittance of 83.5% or more at the wavelength of 1,064 nm for an optical path length of 25 mm:

(Tb.sub.1-x-yY.sub.xSc.sub.y).sub.3(Al.sub.1-zSc.sub.z).sub.5O.sub.12 (1)

wherein 0.05x<0.45, 0<y<0.1, 0.5<1xy<0.95, and 0.004<z<0.2.