A lithium ion secondary battery has, as a positive electrode active material into and from which lithium ions can be intercalated and deintercalated, a lithium oxide represented by Formula Li(1+y)CoPO.sub.4X(y) (in the formula, X is selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br and I, and y lies in the range of 1<y≤2).

A positive electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery which includes a secondary particle of a lithium transition metal oxide, the secondary particle being formed by coagulation of primary particles of the lithium transition metal oxide; secondary particles of a rare earth compound, the secondary particles each being formed by coagulation of primary particles of the rare earth compound; and particles of an alkali-metal fluoride. The secondary particles of the rare earth compound are each deposited on a groove between a pair of adjacent primary particles which is formed in a surface of the secondary particle of the lithium transition metal oxide so as to come into contact with both of the pair of adjacent primary particles in the groove. The particles of the alkali-metal fluoride are deposited on the surface of the secondary particle of the lithium transition metal oxide.

A nanoparticle is specified. The nanoparticle comprises a nanocrystal configured to convert electromagnetic radiation of a first wavelength range into electromagnetic radiation of a second wavelength range, a first encapsulation comprising pores which reach into or through the first encapsulation, and a second encapsulation which is different from the first encapsulation, wherein the second encapsulation abuts at least one of the pores. Furthermore, a structure comprising a plurality of nanoparticles and a method for producing nanoparticle is specified.

The present invention is a lithium-phosphorus-based composite oxide/carbon composite used for a positive electrode active material of an electrochemical device, including lithium-phosphorus-based composite oxide with the surface being coated with carbon, wherein the lithium-phosphorus-based composite oxide/carbon composite has elutable fluoride ions, which are eluted to an elute from the composite dispersed to ultrapure water, in a mass ratio of 500 ppm or more and 15000 ppm or less in comparison with the lithium-phosphorus-based composite oxide/carbon composite, and the lithium-phosphorus-based composite oxide has a composition of the following general formula (1):

Li.sub.1-xFe.sub.1-zM.sub.zPO.sub.4-aF.sub.a(−0.1≦x<1,0≦z≦1,0≦a≦4)  (1)

(wherein, M represents one or more kinds of metal element selected from the group of Mn, Ni, Co, V, Cr, Al, Nb, Ti, Cu, and Zn). This provides a lithium-phosphorus-based composite oxide/carbon composite that gives higher charge/discharge capacity when it is used as a positive electrode active material of an electrochemical device even though a trivalent-containing raw material is used.

A calcium carbonate-containing material and a process for preparing the inventive calcium carbonate-containing material, wherein a paint includes the inventive calcium carbonate-containing material, and to the use of the inventive calcium carbonate-containing material. The calcium carbonate-containing material is prepared from an avian eggshell, wherein the calcium carbonate-containing material has a weight-median particle size d50 of from 0.5 to 10 μm, and/or a weight top cut particle size d98 of from 2.0 to 40 μm, and wherein the calcium carbonate-containing material includes organic matter in an amount of below 1.5 wt. %, based on the total dry weight of the calcium carbonate-containing material, and wherein the calcium carbonate-containing material has i) a brightness from 90 to 100%, according to R457, and/or ii) L* from 95 to 100, according to DIN 6174.

The present invention relates to a method of reducing a metal oxide comprising the steps of preparing a mixture by mixing a metal oxide and a metal hydride (step 1) and reducing the mixture by heat treatment (step 2) and a method of producing a photocatalyst using the same, and The method of reducing a metal oxide of the present invention can easily reduce such metal oxides as TiO.sub.2, ZrO.sub.2, V.sub.2O.sub.3, and Fe.sub.2O.sub.3.

There is disclosed a functional lamellar particle including an unconverted portion of the lamellar particle, wherein the unconverted portion includes a first metal, a converted portion of the lamellar particle disposed external to a surface of the unconverted portion, wherein the converted portion includes a chemical compound of the first metal; and a functional coating disposed external to a surface of the converted portion.

Systems and methods of synthesizing nanoparticles on substrates using rapid, high temperature thermal shock. A method involves depositing micro-sized particles or salt precursors on a substrate, and applying a rapid, high temperature thermal pulse or shock to the micro-sized particles or the salt precursors and the substrate to cause the micro-sized particles or the salt precursors to become nanoparticles on the substrate. A system may include a rotatable member that receives a roll of a substrate sheet having micro-sized particles or salt precursors; a motor that rotates the rotatable member so as to unroll consecutive portions of the substrate sheet from the roll; and a thermal energy source that applies a short, high temperature thermal shock to consecutive portions of the substrate sheet that are unrolled from the roll by rotating the first rotatable member. Some systems and methods produce nanoparticles on existing substrate. The nanoparticles may be metallic, ceramic, inorganic, semiconductor, or compound nanoparticles. The substrate may be a carbon-based substrate, a conducting substrate, or a non-conducting substrate. The high temperature thermal shock process may be enabled by electrical Joule heating, microwave heating, thermal radiative heating, plasma heating, or laser heating.

To produce a silicon oxide-based negative electrode material containing Li and having uniform distribution of a Li concentration both inside particles and between particles although a C-coating film is formed on a surface, and yet in which generation of SiC is suppressed. A SiO gas and a Li gas are simultaneously generated by heating a Si-lithium silicate-containing raw material under reduced pressure. The Si-lithium silicate-containing raw material includes Si, Li, and O, in which a part of the Si is present as a Si simple substance and the Li is present as lithium silicate. By cooling the generated gases, Li-containing silicon oxide having an average composition of SiLi.sub.xO.sub.y (0.05<x<y and 0.5<y<1.5 are satisfied) is prepared. After adjusting the particle size, a C-coating film having an average film thickness of 0.5 to 10 nm is formed on a surface of particles at a treatment temperature of 900° C. or less.

A method of fabricating nanocomposite anode material embodying a lithium titanate (LTO)-multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) composite intended for use in a lithium-ion battery includes providing multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNTs), including nanotube surfaces, onto which functional oxygenated carboxylic acid moieties are arranged, generating 3D flower-like, lithium titanate (LTO) microspheres, including thin nanosheets and anchoring the acid-functionalized MWNTs onto surfaces of the 3D LTO microspheres by π-π interaction strategy to realize the nanocomposite anode material.