A method for purifying solid borazane (NH.sub.3BH.sub.3 (s)) includes a) bringing solid borazane (NH.sub.3BH.sub.3 (s)) containing impurities into contact with a stream of gaseous ammonia (NH.sub.3 (g)) to obtain, by selective liquefaction of the borazane, a liquid phase containing liquefied borazane and ammonia and a solid phase constituted of at least a part of the impurities, b) separating the liquid and solid phases for recovery of the liquid phase, on the one hand, and of the solid phase, on the other hand; c) removing the ammonia from the recovered liquid phase, this removal causing precipitation of the purified borazane (NH.sub.3BH.sub.3 (s)); and d) recovering the purified precipitated borazane (NH.sub.3BH.sub.3 (s)).

According to the present invention, there are provided a surface-modified inorganic substance obtained by performing surface modification on a inorganic nitride by using an aldehyde compound such as a compound represented by General Formula I and a resin composition containing the surface-modified inorganic substance and a monomer having a group selected from the group consisting of an oxetanyl group, an oxiranyl group, and a (meth)acrylate group. By using the surface-modified inorganic substance or the resin composition, it is possible to provide a thermally conductive material having excellent thermal conductivity and a device having high durability.

Z.sub.ZX.sub.XCHOGeneral Formula I

(In the formula, Z.sub.Z represents a group selected from the group consisting of an amino group, a thiol group, a hydroxyl group, an isocyanate group, a carboxyl group, a carboxylic acid anhydride group, an oxetanyl group, an oxiranyl group, a (meth)acrylate group, and a hydrogen atom, and X.sub.X represents a divalent linking group.)

According to the present invention, there are provided a surface-modified inorganic substance obtained by performing surface modification on a inorganic nitride by using an aldehyde compound such as a compound represented by General Formula I and a resin composition containing the surface-modified inorganic substance and a monomer having a group selected from the group consisting of an oxetanyl group, an oxiranyl group, and a (meth)acrylate group. By using the surface-modified inorganic substance or the resin composition, it is possible to provide a thermally conductive material having excellent thermal conductivity and a device having high durability.

Z.sub.ZX.sub.XCHOGeneral Formula I

(In the formula, Z.sub.Z represents a group selected from the group consisting of an amino group, a thiol group, a hydroxyl group, an isocyanate group, a carboxyl group, a carboxylic acid anhydride group, an oxetanyl group, an oxiranyl group, a (meth)acrylate group, and a hydrogen atom, and X.sub.X represents a divalent linking group.)

Solar cells fabricated from p-n junctions of boron nitride nanotubes alloyed with carbon are described. Band gaps of boron nitride carbon alloys are tailored by controlling carbon content in the boron nitride nanotubes. High efficiency solar cells can be fabricated by tailoring the band gap of boron nitride carbon alloy nanotubes, and using these nanotubes for fabricating solar cells u. Because boron nitride carbon alloy nanotubes are transparent to most wavelengths of light, the wavelengths not converted to electrons (i.e., absorbed) at a first p-n junction in a solar cell will pass through the stack to another p-n junction in the stack having a different band gap. At each successive p-n junction, each of which has a different band gap from the other p-n junctions in the stack, more wavelengths of light will be converted into electricity. This dramatically increases the efficiency of solar cells.

Solar cells fabricated from p-n junctions of boron nitride nanotubes alloyed with carbon are described. Band gaps of boron nitride carbon alloys are tailored by controlling carbon content in the boron nitride nanotubes. High efficiency solar cells can be fabricated by tailoring the band gap of boron nitride carbon alloy nanotubes, and using these nanotubes for fabricating solar cells u. Because boron nitride carbon alloy nanotubes are transparent to most wavelengths of light, the wavelengths not converted to electrons (i.e., absorbed) at a first p-n junction in a solar cell will pass through the stack to another p-n junction in the stack having a different band gap. At each successive p-n junction, each of which has a different band gap from the other p-n junctions in the stack, more wavelengths of light will be converted into electricity. This dramatically increases the efficiency of solar cells.

Aspects disclosed herein include materials comprising: a lithium thioborate composition characterized by formula FX1: Li.sub.3?z[B+Q].sub.1[S+G].sub.3 (FX1); wherein Q is a first dopant being a substitute for B in the composition and being one or more elements each aliovalent with respect to B; wherein G is a second dopant being a substitute for S in the composition and being one or more elements each aliovalent with respect to S; wherein z is a number greater than 0 and less than or equal to 0.40, optionally less than or equal to 0.05; and wherein the composition comprises only the first dopant, only the second dopant, or both the first dopant and the second dopant.

Aspects disclosed herein include materials comprising: a lithium thioborate composition characterized by formula FX1: Li.sub.3?z[B+Q].sub.1[S+G].sub.3 (FX1); wherein Q is a first dopant being a substitute for B in the composition and being one or more elements each aliovalent with respect to B; wherein G is a second dopant being a substitute for S in the composition and being one or more elements each aliovalent with respect to S; wherein z is a number greater than 0 and less than or equal to 0.40, optionally less than or equal to 0.05; and wherein the composition comprises only the first dopant, only the second dopant, or both the first dopant and the second dopant.

Provided are hexagonal boron nitride aggregated particles and hexagonal boron nitride powder, each of which can be filled into a resin to produce a resin composition with an extremely high dielectric strength and thermal conductivity, and to reduce the density of the resin composition. Provided are hexagonal boron nitride aggregated particles, in which aggregated particles of hexagonal boron nitride primary particles have a longer diameter ranging from 5 to 10 ?m, a longer diameter/shorter diameter ranging from 1.0 to 1.3, and a circularity within a range from 0.3 to 0.8, and a maximum diameter of primary particles which can be confirmed on the surface of the aggregated particles on an SEM observation image at 10,000 magnification is 4 ?m or less. Provided is a hexagonal boron nitride powder including aggregated particles of hexagonal boron nitride primary particles, in which a particle size (D.sub.50) at a cumulative volume frequency of 50% in a particle size distribution as measured by a wet laser diffraction particle size distribution analysis is from 5 to 150 ?m, a volume-based median diameter of pores as measured by a mercury porosimetry is 3.0 ?m or less, and a content of impurity elements is 500 ppm or less.

To provide an electrolyte for a storage device capable of lowering the electric resistance and maintaining a high capacity even after charging and discharging are repeatedly carried out, and a storage device. An electrolyte for a storage device, which comprises a lithium-containing complex compound represented by the following formula (1), (2), (3), (4) or (5):
(Li).sub.m(A).sub.n(UF.sub.x).sub.y(1)
(Li).sub.m(Si).sub.n(O).sub.q(UF.sub.x).sub.y(2)
wherein A is O, S, P or N; U is a boron atom or a phosphorus atom; m and n are each independently from 1 to 6; q is from 1 to 12; x is 3 or 5; and y is from 1 to 6;
(Li).sub.m(O).sub.n(B).sub.p(OWF.sub.q).sub.x(3)
wherein W is a boron atom or a phosphorus atom; m, p and x are each independently from 1 to 15; n is from 0 to 15; and q is 3 or 5;
(Li).sub.m(B).sub.p(O)n(OR).sub.y(OWF.sub.q).sub.x(4)
wherein W is a boron atom or a phosphorus atom; n is from 0 to 15; p, m, x and y are each independently from 1 to 12; q is 3 or 5; and R is hydrogen, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, a carbonyl group, a sulfonyl group or a silyl group, and such a group may have a fluorine atom, an oxygen atom or other substituent;
(Li).sub.m(O).sub.n(B).sub.p(OOC-(A).sub.z-COO).sub.y(OWF.sub.q).sub.x(5)
wherein W is a boron atom or a phosphorus atom, A is a C.sub.1-6 allylene group, alkenylene group or alkynylene group, a phenylene group, or an alkylene group having an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom in its main chain; m, p, x and y are each independently from 1 to 20; n is from 0 to 15; z is 0 or 1; and q is 3 or 5.

To provide an electrolyte for a storage device capable of lowering the electric resistance and maintaining a high capacity even after charging and discharging are repeatedly carried out, and a storage device. An electrolyte for a storage device, which comprises a lithium-containing complex compound represented by the following formula (1), (2), (3), (4) or (5):
(Li).sub.m(A).sub.n(UF.sub.x).sub.y(1)
(Li).sub.m(Si).sub.n(O).sub.q(UF.sub.x).sub.y(2)
wherein A is O, S, P or N; U is a boron atom or a phosphorus atom; m and n are each independently from 1 to 6; q is from 1 to 12; x is 3 or 5; and y is from 1 to 6;
(Li).sub.m(O).sub.n(B).sub.p(OWF.sub.q).sub.x(3)
wherein W is a boron atom or a phosphorus atom; m, p and x are each independently from 1 to 15; n is from 0 to 15; and q is 3 or 5;
(Li).sub.m(B).sub.p(O)n(OR).sub.y(OWF.sub.q).sub.x(4)
wherein W is a boron atom or a phosphorus atom; n is from 0 to 15; p, m, x and y are each independently from 1 to 12; q is 3 or 5; and R is hydrogen, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, a carbonyl group, a sulfonyl group or a silyl group, and such a group may have a fluorine atom, an oxygen atom or other substituent;
(Li).sub.m(O).sub.n(B).sub.p(OOC-(A).sub.z-COO).sub.y(OWF.sub.q).sub.x(5)
wherein W is a boron atom or a phosphorus atom, A is a C.sub.1-6 allylene group, alkenylene group or alkynylene group, a phenylene group, or an alkylene group having an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom in its main chain; m, p, x and y are each independently from 1 to 20; n is from 0 to 15; z is 0 or 1; and q is 3 or 5.