The present invention pertains to a polycrystalline membrane containing metal nitride particles represented by the general formula MN.sub.x (where M is a metal element in which the Fermi energy is in a position higher than 4.4 eV vs L.V. and x is the range over which a rock salt-type structure can be assumed), in which the crystallite size determined by transmission electron microscopy is 10 nm or less, at least some of the crystallites have rock salt-type structure, and the crystallites exhibit (111) orientation but substantially do not exhibit (100) orientation. The present invention also pertains to a method for manufacturing a polycrystalline membrane, comprising forming, by sputtering, a polycrystalline membrane on a substrate having a temperature of less than 200 C., the polycrystalline membrane being represented by the general formula MN.sub.x and being such that at least some crystallites have a rock salt structure and the crystallites exhibit (111) orientation but essentially do not exhibit (100) orientation. The present invention provides a hydrogen-permeable TiN.sub.x microparticle membrane exhibiting a higher mixed hydride ion (H.sup.)-electron conduction.

A method for manufacturing nitride catalyst is provided, which includes putting a Ru target and an M target into a nitrogen-containing atmosphere, in which M is Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Cr, V, Ti, Cu, or Zn. The method also includes providing powers to the Ru target and the M target, respectively. The method also includes providing ions to bombard the Ru target and the M target for depositing M.sub.xRu.sub.yN.sub.2 on a substrate by sputtering, wherein 0<x<1.3, 0.7<y<2, and x+y=2, wherein M.sub.xRu.sub.yZ.sub.2 is cubic crystal system or amorphous.

A method for manufacturing nitride catalyst is provided, which includes putting a Ru target and an M target into a nitrogen-containing atmosphere, in which M is Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Cr, V, Ti, Cu, or Zn. The method also includes providing powers to the Ru target and the M target, respectively. The method also includes providing ions to bombard the Ru target and the M target for depositing M.sub.xRu.sub.yN.sub.2 on a substrate by sputtering, wherein 0<x<1.3, 0.7<y<2, and x+y=2, wherein M.sub.xRu.sub.yZ.sub.2 is cubic crystal system or amorphous

A method for manufacturing catalyst material is provided, which includes putting an M target and an M target into a nitrogen-containing atmosphere, in which M is Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Cr, V, Ti, Cu, or Zn, and M is Nb, Ta, or a combination thereof. Powers are provided to the M target and the M target, respectively. Providing ions to bombard the M target and the M target to sputtering deposit M.sub.aM.sub.bN.sub.2 on a substrate, wherein 0.7a1.7, 0.3b1.3, and a+b=2, wherein M.sub.aM.sub.bN.sub.2 is a cubic crystal system.

A method for producing a metal nitride and/or a metal carbide, a metal nitride and/or metal carbide optionally produced according to the method, and the use of the metal nitride and/or carbide in catalysis optionally catalytic hydroprocessing. Optionally, the method comprises: i) contacting at least one metal oxide comprising at least one first metal M.sup.1 with a cyanometallate comprising at least one second metal M.sup.2 to form a reaction mixture; and, ii) subjecting the reaction mixture to a temperature of at least 300 C. for a reaction period. Optionally, the metal nitride and/or metal carbide is a metal nitride comprising tungsten nitride.

The present invention is directed to compositions comprising at least one layer or at least two layers, each layer comprising a substantially two-dimensional array of crystal cells, having first and second surfaces, each crystal cell having the empirical formula of M.sub.n+1X.sub.n, where M, X, and n are described in the specification, and devices incorporating these compositions.

The method for manufacturing a photosemiconductor according to the present disclosure includes treating a metal base material containing at least one kind of transition metal with a plasma under a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure and at a temperature lower than a volatilization temperature of the transition metal under an atmosphere at the pressure to provide the photosemiconductor containing the transition metal and a nitrogen element from at least a part of the metal base material. Here, the plasma is generated by applying a high-frequency voltage at a frequency in a range of not less than 30 MHz and not more than 300 MHz to a gas between a first electrode and a second electrode, and the gas is any one of: (i) a nitrogen gas; (ii) a gaseous mixture consisting of a nitrogen gas and an oxygen gas; (iii) a gaseous mixture consisting of a nitrogen gas and a rare gas; and (iv) a gaseous mixture consisting of a nitrogen gas, an oxygen gas, and a rare gas.

A method for manufacturing nitride catalyst is provided, which includes putting a Ru target and an M target into a nitrogen-containing atmosphere, in which M is Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Cr, V, Ti, Cu, or Zn. The method also includes providing powers to the Ru target and the M target, respectively. The method also includes providing ions to bombard the Ru target and the M target for depositing M.sub.xRu.sub.yN.sub.2 on a substrate by sputtering, wherein 0<x<1.3, 0.7<y<2, and x+y=2, wherein M.sub.xRu.sub.yZ.sub.2 is cubic crystal system or amorphous.

Provided are a self-cleaning coating, a self-cleaning fiber, a self-cleaning carpet and uses thereof. The self-cleaning coating is provided with a porous structure where pores communicate with one another; the volume of the pores comprised in the coating makes up 20%-98% of the total volume of the coating; and the pore diameter of the pores in the porous structure is between 0.5 nm-50 nm. The self-cleaning coating is mainly prepared from host materials; the host materials are one or more of titanium oxide, zirconia, titanium nitride, silicon oxide, tungsten oxide, g-C.sub.3N.sub.4 semiconducting polymer, perovskite semiconductor, silver, iron, gold, aluminum, copper, zinc, tin and platinum.

The present application provides nitride semiconductor nanoparticles, for example nanocrystals, made from a new composition of matter in the form of a novel compound semiconductor family of the type group II-III-N, for example ZnGaN, ZnInN, ZnInGaN, ZnAlN, ZnAlGaN, ZnAlInN and ZnAlGaInN. This type of compound semiconductor nanocrystal is not previously known in the prior art. The invention also discloses II-N semiconductor nanocrystals, for example ZnN nanocrystals, which are a subgroup of the group II-III-N semiconductor nanocrystals. The composition and size of the new and novel II-III-N compound semiconductor nanocrystals can be controlled in order to tailor their band-gap and light emission properties. Efficient light emission in the ultraviolet-visible-infrared wavelength range is demonstrated. The products of this invention are useful as constituents of optoelectronic devices such as solar cells, light emitting diodes, laser diodes and as a light emitting phosphor material for LEDs and emissive EL displays.