The present invention provides type-I and II carbon-based clathrate compounds stabilized by boron, including a boron-substituted, carbon-based framework with guest atoms encapsulated within the clathrate lattice. In one embodiment, the invention provides a carbon-based type-I clathrate compound of the formula Ca.sub.8B.sub.xC.sub.46-x.

The present invention provides type-I and II carbon-based clathrate compounds stabilized by boron, including a boron-substituted, carbon-based framework with guest atoms encapsulated within the clathrate lattice. In one embodiment, the invention provides a carbon-based type-I clathrate compound of the formula Ca.sub.8B.sub.xC.sub.46-x.

Preparing MAX phase structures includes forming a gel including a transition metal M, a Group 3A or Group 4A metal or semimetal A, and an acidic chelating agent or gelling agent X. X includes one or both of carbon and nitrogen. Preparing the MAX phase structures further includes shaping the gel to yield a shaped gel and heating the shaped gel to yield carbonaceous MAX phase structures with a composition represented by M.sub.n+1AX.sub.n, wherein n is 1, 2, 3, or 4. The MAX phase structures can be thick films, microspheres, or microwires.

Preparing MAX phase structures includes forming a gel including a transition metal M, a Group 3A or Group 4A metal or semimetal A, and an acidic chelating agent or gelling agent X. X includes one or both of carbon and nitrogen. Preparing the MAX phase structures further includes shaping the gel to yield a shaped gel and heating the shaped gel to yield carbonaceous MAX phase structures with a composition represented by M.sub.n+1AX.sub.n, wherein n is 1, 2, 3, or 4. The MAX phase structures can be thick films, microspheres, or microwires.

The invention relates to a PVD process for coating a substrate with a layer containing at least one microcrystalline metallic borocarbide phase. During the PVD process, the source output is pulsed such that the at least one peak of which the half intensity width allows conclusions to be drawn about the presence of a microcrystalline phase of the metallic borocarbide layer can be identified in the x-ray spectrum of a layer produced in this way at a substrate temperature below 600 C.

A device for extraction of analytes with aromatic cycles, preferably analytes with aromatic cycles for which the octanol-water partition coefficient is more than 10.sup.3, the analytes being contained in a liquid phase, the extraction device including a support and an adsorption layer at least partially covering the support, the adsorption layer being porous SiOxCyHz.

A mercury-based compound is in powder form and has the general chemical formula: M1.sub.aX.sub.b, where M1 is Hg, MxcMyd or a combination thereof, with Mx being Hg and My being an arbitrary element; wherein X is chloride, bromide, fluoride, iodide, sulphate nitrate or a combination thereof, wherein a, b, c and d are numbers between 0.1 and 10, wherein particles of the powder have a minimum average dimension of width of at least 50 nm and a maximum average dimension of width of at most 20 m, and wherein the mercury-based compound is paramagnetic and is present in an excited state.

A mercury-based compound is in powder form and has the general chemical formula: M1.sub.aX.sub.b, where M1 is Hg, MxcMyd or a combination thereof, with Mx being Hg and My being an arbitrary element; wherein X is chloride, bromide, fluoride, iodide, sulphate nitrate or a combination thereof, wherein a, b, c and d are numbers between 0.1 and 10, wherein particles of the powder have a minimum average dimension of width of at least 50 nm and a maximum average dimension of width of at most 20 m, and wherein the mercury-based compound is paramagnetic and is present in an excited state.

A catalytic composition from earth-abundant transition metal salts and biomass is disclosed. A calcined catalytic composition formed from soybean powder and ammonium molybdate is specifically exemplified herein. Methods for making the catalytic composition are disclosed as are electrodes for hydrogen evolution reactions comprising the catalytic composition.

[Object] To provide a secondary battery material that is used in a lithium ion battery, a negative electrode active material including the secondary battery material, and a secondary battery including the negative electrode active material. The secondary battery material gives a secondary battery having high charge and discharge capacity, initial efficiency, and capacity retention rate as a whole and having an excellent balance of these characteristics.

[Solution]A secondary battery material contains Si (silicon), O (oxygen), and C (carbon), and the content ratio x of O to Si satisfies 0.1x2, and the content ratio y of C to Si satisfies 0.3y11.