A metal borate production method is realized by the reaction, M(NO.sub.3)+Na.sub.2B.sub.4O.sub.7.10H.sub.2O.fwdarw.M.B.sub.2O.sub.3. nH.sub.2O+NaNO.sub.3+nH.sub.2O, between borax and perchlorate or nitrate solution comprising a metal, or another completely dissolved metal salt in stochiometric proportion and the synthesis of nano-structured metal borates having antibacterial characteristic without addition of a second. solvent or additive substance to the medium.

A nitrogen-doped porous carbon material and a preparation method and an application thereof; wherein the nitrogen-doped porous carbon material has a specific surface area of 1600-3500 m.sup.2.Math.g.sup.−1, mesopores with a pore size of 2-50 nm account for 20-40% of all pores, an average pore size is 2-20 nm, and a mass fraction of nitrogen atoms in the porous carbon material is 13.6-19.3 wt %. When being used as a supercapacitor material, the porous carbon material has a larger specific capacitance and a better capacitance retention rate. At a current density of 0.1 A.Math.g.sup.−1, the porous carbon material has a specific capacitance of about 847 F.Math.g.sup.−1. After 5000 cycles of charging and discharging, the capacitance retention rate is about 99.7%. Moreover, the porous carbon material features an excellent pore structure distribution, thus providing good CO.sub.2 adsorption performance.

Disclosed are a superhydrophobic coating with abrasion resistance and a preparation method thereof. The coating has a composite structure formed by a nanohybrid composed of nano-SiO.sub.2 and multi-wallet carbon nanotubes, and a resin as a matrix.

Provided are a slurry of graphene oxides with different degrees of oxidation, a composite film of graphene oxides, and a graphene heat-conducting film. The slurry of the graphene oxides comprises the graphene oxides and a solvent, and the graphene oxides include a strong graphene oxide and a weak graphene oxide, wherein the slurry comprises two graphene oxides with different degrees of oxidation, which can increase a carbon content in the graphene oxide per unit mass, so that the finally obtained graphene heat-conducting film has more carbon.

A ceramic sputtering target, wherein when a cross-sectional structure of a sputtering surface is observed with an electron microscope, an amount of microcracks defined below is 50 μm/mm or less, and after performing a peel test on the sputtering surface, an area ratio of peeled particles confirmed by observing the cross-sectional structure with an electron microscope is 1.0% or less.

Amount of microcracks=frequency of microcracks×average depth of microcracks

A process for preparing stacks of metal chalcogenide flakes includes: (a) reacting together a source of the metal atom of the target metal chalcogenide with a source of the chalcogenide atom of the target metal chalcogenide, in the presence of a spacer, so as to produce flakes of the metal chalcogenide; (b) depositing metal chalcogenide flakes obtained using step (a) onto a substrate to form a stack of assembled metal chalcogenide flakes, wherein the spacer contains an alkyl chain linked to a functional group able to bond to the metal chalcogenide surface, said alkyl chain having a length of less than 18 carbon atoms, preferably between 6 and 14 carbon atoms.

An object is to provide a composition that contains a phosphorus-containing carbon quantum dot and can efficiently emit relatively long wavelength light. The composition to achieve the above object contains: a phosphorus-containing carbon quantum dot containing phosphorus as a heteroatom; and a smectite.

Provided are nanoparticles passivated with a cationic metal-chalcogenide complex (MCC) and a method of preparing the same. A passivated nanoparticle includes: a core nanoparticle; and a cationic metal-chalcogenide compound (MCC) fixed on a surface of the core nanoparticle.

An antimicrobial material including a substrate and an antimicrobial mixed metal oxide, mixed metal sulfide, or mixed metal oxysulfide in and/or on the substrate is described, as well as antimicrobial coating materials and coatings formed therefrom. The antimicrobial material may be constituted in an antimicrobial surface of a surface-presenting substrate, to combat transmission and spread of microbial disease, e.g., disease mediated by microbial pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Antimicrobial mixed metal oxide, mixed metal sulfide, or mixed metal oxysulfide as described may be contacted with microorganisms to effect inactivation thereof.

Provided herein are TiO.sub.2-x nanoparticles and materials that show unusual photophysical and optical properties. These TiO.sub.2-x particles and materials can be used as efficient photocatalysts for the reduction of CO.sub.2 with H.sub.2O to produce CH.sub.4. Also provided herein are methods of making TiO.sub.2-x nanoparticles using a polymer-derived mesoporous carbon (PDMC) as a template.