Photonic pigments are disclosed, which include a plurality of magnetic nanorods assembled into tetragonal colloidal crystals.

Hybrid particles having improved electrical conductivity and thermal and chemical stabilities are disclosed. The hybrid particles are for use in conductive pastes. The hybrid particles include a nanoparticle selected from a graphene-containing material, a dichalcogenide material, a conducting polymer, or a combination thereof encapsulated in a conducting metal. The hybrid particles include a nanoparticle selected from a graphene-containing material, a dichalcogenide material, or a combination thereof encapsulated in a conducting polymer, and optionally further in a conducting metal. Suitable conducting metals include nickel or silver. Suitable conducting polymers include polyaniline, polypyrrole, or polythiophene. Suitable dichalcogenide materials include MoS.sub.2 or MoSe.sub.2. The hybrid particles can further include a conducting polymer layer on an outer surface of the conducting metal. Methods of making the hybrid particles are also disclosed.

The present invention is directed to a chromatic effect light reflective unit (1; 1a-1g). The unit (1; 1a-1g) comprises a reflective layer (10) having at least one reflective surface (11), and a chromatic diffusion layer (20) having a first surface (21) proximal to the reflective surface (11) and a second surface (23), opposite and substantially parallel to the first, configured to be illuminated by incident light, wherein the chromatic diffusion layer (20) comprises a nano-pillar (70) or nano-pore (30) structure in a first material having a first refractive index (n1), immersed in a second material having a second refractive index (n2) other than the first (n1), in which the first and second materials are substantially non-absorbing or transparent to electromagnetic radiations with wavelength included in the visible spectrum, wherein the ratio (n.sub.M/n.sub.m) between a higher refractive index (n.sub.M) and a lower refractive index (n.sub.M) chosen between the first (n1) and the second (n2) refractive indexes is comprised between 1.05 and 3, wherein the nano- pillars (71) or nano-pores (31) have a development along a main direction not parallel to the first surface (21) and the second surface (23) of the chromatic diffusion layer and the nano- pillars (70) or nano-pores (30) structure is characterized by a plurality of geometric parameters comprising a pillar diameter or pore diameter (d.sub.p), a pillar length or pore length (1.sub.p) along said main development direction, and a surface density of nano-pillars or nano-pores (D.sub.p) and/or a structure (30,70) porosity (P.sub.p) and wherein the pillar diameter or pore diameter (d.sub.p) is comprised between 40 nm and 300 nm, the length (l.sub.p) along the main development direction is comprised between 300 nm and 40 .Math.m (300 nm < l.sub.p < 40 .Math.m) and at least one between the surface density of nano-pillars or nano-pores (D.sub.p) and the structure (30,70) porosity (P.sub.p) is configured to provide a higher regular reflectance for wavelengths of incident light comprised in the range of red with respect to wavelengths of incident light comprised in the range of blue and a higher diffuse reflectance for wavelengths of incident light comprised in the range of blue than wavelengths of incident light comprised in the range of red.

The present disclosure describes a method for preparing calcium carbonate (CaCO.sub.3) coated calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH).sub.2) particles. The method includes introducing liquid carbon dioxide into a reaction vessel, introducing calcium hydroxide particles into the reaction vessel, and effectively mixing the calcium hydroxide particles into the liquid carbon dioxide. The method further includes inducing a phase change in the liquid carbon dioxide so as to coat the calcium hydroxide in dry ice. In a different embodiment, liquid carbon dioxide may be introduced into a throttle valve inducing a phase change into a mixture of a gaseous carbon dioxide and a solid dry ice, and calcium hydroxide particles can be introduced into an exit stream with said mixture, inducing heterogeneous nucleation of the dry ice. In addition, both embodiments include sublimating the dry ice after a predetermined residence time to control the thickness of the calcium carbonate coating on the calcium hydroxide particles.

In a coloring ultraviolet protective agent, the average molar absorption coefficient in the wavelength range from 200 nm to 380 nm is increased, and the color characteristics in the visible region are controlled. The coloring ultraviolet protective agent is useful for shielding ultraviolet rays and coloring. The coloring ultraviolet protective agent comprises M2 doped oxide particles in which oxide particles (M1Ox) including at least M1 being a metal element or metalloid element, are doped with at least one M2 selected from metal elements or metalloid elements other than M1, wherein x is an arbitrary positive number, wherein an average molar absorption coefficient in the wavelength range of 200 nm to 380 nm of a dispersion in which the M2 doped oxide particles are dispersed in a dispersion medium, is improved as compared with one of a dispersion in which the oxide particles (M1Ox) are dispersed in a dispersion medium, and wherein a hue or chroma of color characteristics in the visible region of the M2 doped oxide particles is controlled.

In a coloring ultraviolet protective agent, the average molar absorption coefficient in the wavelength range from 200 nm to 380 nm is increased, and the color characteristics in the visible region are controlled. The coloring ultraviolet protective agent is useful for shielding ultraviolet rays and coloring. The coloring ultraviolet protective agent comprises M2 doped oxide particles in which oxide particles (M1Ox) including at least M1 being a metal element or metalloid element, are doped with at least one M2 selected from metal elements or metalloid elements other than M1, wherein x is an arbitrary positive number, wherein an average molar absorption coefficient in the wavelength range of 200 nm to 380 nm of a dispersion in which the M2 doped oxide particles are dispersed in a dispersion medium, is improved as compared with one of a dispersion in which the oxide particles (M1Ox) are dispersed in a dispersion medium, and wherein a hue or chroma of color characteristics in the visible region of the M2 doped oxide particles is controlled.

The present disclosure relates to novel particulate composite materials comprising a graphitic core particle associated with SiOx nanoparticles (0.2≤X≤1.8), and coated by a layer of non-graphitic carbon, e.g., pyrolytic carbon deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Also included are processes for making such particles as well as uses and downstream products for the novel composite material, in particular as an active material in negative electrodes in Li-ion batteries.

Described herein are oral care compositions comprising metal silicates (e.g. potassium silicate); along with methods of making and using same.

Disclosed in certain embodiments are hybrid metal oxide particles and methods of preparing the same. In at least one embodiment, hybrid metal oxide particles comprise a continuous matrix of a first metal oxide having embedded therein an array of metal oxide particles comprising a second metal oxide. In at least one embodiment, the hybrid metal oxide particles are substantially non-porous.

Thermoelectric (TE) nanocomposite material that includes at least one component consisting of nanocrystals. A TE nanocomposite material in accordance with the present invention can include, but is not limited to, multiple nanocrystalline structures, nanocrystal networks or partial networks, or multi-component materials, with some components forming connected interpenetrating networks including nanocrystalline networks. The TE nanocomposite material can be in the form of a bulk solid having semiconductor nanocrystallites that form an electrically conductive network within the material. In other embodiments, the TE nanocomposite material can be a nanocomposite thermoelectric material having one network of p-type or n-type semiconductor domains and a low thermal conductivity semiconductor or dielectric network or domains separating the p-type or n-type domains that provides efficient phonon scattering to reduce thermal conductivity while maintaining the electrical properties of the p-type or n-type semiconductor.