Provided is a potassium titanate powder that can avoid safety and health concerns and concurrently, during use in a friction material, can give excellent frictional properties. A potassium titanate powder is a powder formed of bar-like potassium titanate particles having an average length of 30 μm or more, an average breadth of 10 m or more, and an average aspect ratio of 1.5 or more, wherein the bar-like potassium titanate particles are represented by a composition formula K.sub.2Ti.sub.nO.sub.2n+1 (where n=5.5 to 6.5).

Nanostructured photonic materials, and associated components for use in devices and systems operating at ultraviolet (UV), extreme ultraviolet (EUV), and/or soft Xray wavelengths are described. Such a material may be fabricated with nanoscale features tailored for a selected wavelength range, such as at particular UV, EUV, or soft Xray wavelengths or wavelength ranges. Such a material may be used to make components such as mirrors, lenses or other optics, panels, lightsources, masks, photoresists, or other components for use in applications such as lithography, wafer patterning, astronomical and space applications, biomedical applications, biotech or other applications.

Tetrapod-shaped quantum dots having a tetrapod shape in which a core includes a plurality of arms, and each of the arms have a different growth degree depending on the crystal direction.

Provided is a calcium carbonate that comprises crystals having a particular shape and structure and has a nano-order average particle size. Provided are a method for producing a calcium carbonate that comprises crystals having a particular shape and structure and has an average particle size in a particular range and a crystal growth method. The calcium carbonate has the calcite structure, has a BET specific surface area of 2 to 50 m.sup.2/g, has a number-based average particle size of 30 nm to 1.0 μm as determined by electron microscopy, and partially comprises substantially ring-like particles.

A method of using ZnO particles for the treatment of colon cancer and a method of using the particles for reducing the concentration of an organic contaminant in an aqueous solution is described. The ZnO particles are substantially spherical and may have nanopetals that provide a nanoflower morphology. The synthesis and characterization of the ZnO particles is also discussed.

A LiMnO.sub.2 production method includes generating cubic crystal LiMnO.sub.2 nanoparticles by adding an organic solvent, manganese oxide nanoparticles, and lithium amide in a reaction vessel and heating in an inert atmosphere. and a washing and recovering the generated particles. Wurtzite type MnO nanoparticles are preferably used as the manganese oxide. As a result, LiMnO.sub.2 nanoparticles that have a substantially similar particle size to wurtzite type MnO nanoparticles can be obtained from an Mn raw material. Nanoparticles having a hollow structure can be obtained by controlling the reaction temperature.

The invention provides a process for the preparation of bismuth oxyhalide, comprising a precipitation of bismuth oxyhalide in an acidic aqueous medium in the presence of a reducing agent. Also provided are bismuth oxyhalide compounds doped with elemental bismuth Bi.sup.(0). The use of Bi.sup.(0)doped-bismuth oxyhalide as photocatalysts in water purification is also described.

Disclosed is a method for synthesizing copper sulfide nano powder using plasma synthesis. The method comprises providing a copper compound to a plasma apparatus, adding a sulfur, and performing a plasma process with respect to the copper compound and the sulfur for synthesizing a nano copper sulfide.

A process for producing pigments having a defined size and shape and also pigments produced by this process. The process has the steps: a) production of a three-dimensional surface structure on a substrate, with surface regions which are in each case partly bounded by a plurality of three-dimensional structural elements and are arranged in gaps being formed; b) application of a pigment material layer to the surface structure; c) detachment of the pigment material layer from the surface structure and production of pigments.

Disclosed herein are pristine graphene sheets with columns formed of fullerene nanotubes between the graphene sheets for use as body armor, semiconductor, battery anode, solar panels, heat sinks, structural concrete members, structural steel members, precast concrete structural members, bridges, highways, streets, skyscrapers, sidewalks, foundations, dams, industrial plants, canals, airports, structural composites, aircraft, military equipment, and civil infrastructure.