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 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.

Provided are a method of producing a titanium-containing rare earth-iron-nitrogen anisotropic magnetic powder having good magnetic properties, and secondary particles for a titanium-containing anisotropic magnetic powder. The method includes: obtaining a first precipitate containing R, iron, and titanium by mixing a first precipitating agent with a solution containing R, iron, and titanium, wherein R is at least one selected from Sc, Y, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Lu; obtaining a second precipitate containing R and iron by mixing, in the presence of the first precipitate, a second precipitating agent with a solution containing R and iron; obtaining an oxide containing R, iron, and titanium by calcining the second precipitate; obtaining a partial oxide by heat treating the oxide in a reducing gas atmosphere; obtaining alloy particles by reducing the partial oxide; and obtaining an anisotropic magnetic powder by nitriding the alloy particles.

This aluminum-oxide-based-composition-containing zirconium nitride powder contains particles each of which is mainly composed of zirconium nitride and has a surface to which an aluminum oxide-based composition partially adheres, in which the aluminum-oxide-based-composition-containing zirconium nitride powder contains aluminum in a proportion of greater than 1% by mass and 15% by mass or less in terms of a total content of 100% by mass, and has a specific surface area of 30 m.sup.2/g to 90 m.sup.2/g measured by a BET method. This powder has relatively high light shielding properties in a near infrared region with a wavelength of 1,000 nm, has excellent patterning and visible light shielding properties, and has favorable moisture resistance, when the powder is used to form a black patterned film as a black pigment.

A technique to guide a micro- or nano-scale particle uses the wavelengths of light beams to control the direction of motion of the particle. In this technique, an optical asymmetry is introduced into the particle to form a composite particle. The composite particle includes two faces that preferentially absorb light of different wavelengths, independent of the particle orientation. The difference in absorption spectra of the two faces creates a bidirectional and local thermal gradient that is externally switchable by changing the wavelength of the incident light beams. This thermal gradient induces a thermophoretic drift that moves the composite particle. A two-faced nanoparticle can be guided using the optically induced thermophoretic drift as the propulsion mechanism.

A technique to guide a micro- or nano-scale particle uses the wavelengths of light beams to control the direction of motion of the particle. In this technique, an optical asymmetry is introduced into the particle to form a composite particle. The composite particle includes two faces that preferentially absorb light of different wavelengths, independent of the particle orientation. The difference in absorption spectra of the two faces creates a bidirectional and local thermal gradient that is externally switchable by changing the wavelength of the incident light beams. This thermal gradient induces a thermophoretic drift that moves the composite particle. A two-faced nanoparticle can be guided using the optically induced thermophoretic drift as the propulsion mechanism.

A multi-composition fiber is provided including a primary fiber material and an elemental additive material deposited on grain boundaries between adjacent crystalline domains of the primary fiber material. A method of making a multi-composition fiber is also provided, which includes providing a precursor laden environment, and promoting fiber growth using laser heating. The precursor laden environment includes a primary precursor material and an elemental precursor material.

Methods of forming two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide sheets are provided. The methods include adding a cross-linking agent to an activating agent to form a solution and mixing a two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide with the solution to form a mixture. The methods also include adding a cleaving agent to the mixture to form one or more contiguous sheets of transition metal dichalcogenide.

A nanoheterostructure includes a first inorganic component and a second inorganic component one of which is a matrix, and the other of which is three-dimensionally and periodically arranged in the matrix, and has a three-dimensional periodic structure whose average value of one unit length of a repeated structure is 1 nm to 100 nm.

Provided are a macroporous titanium compound monolith and a production method thereof, the macroporous titanium compound monolith having a framework that is composed of a titanium compound other than titanium dioxide, having controlled macropores, and having electron conductivity, the titanium compound being oxygen-deficient titanium oxide, titanium oxynitride, or titanium nitride. Provided is a method including: placing a macroporous titanium dioxide monolith and a metal having titanium-reducing ability in a container, the macroporous titanium dioxide monolith having a co-continuous structure of a macropore and a framework that is composed of titanium dioxide; creating a vacuum atmosphere or an inert gas atmosphere within the container; and heating the monolith and the metal to cause gas-phase reduction that removes oxygen atom from the titanium dioxide composing the monolith by the metal acting as an oxygen getter, thereby obtaining a macroporous oxygen-deficient titanium oxide monolith having a co-continuous structure of the macropore and a framework that is composed of oxygen-deficient titanium oxide, the macroporous oxygen-deficient titanium oxide monolith having electron conductivity derived from the oxygen-deficient titanium oxide.