Disclosed are nanomaterials that are comprised of R.sub.xO.sub.yM.sup.1M.sup.2 clusters, where R is one or more lanthanides selected from La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb or Lu, wherein O is oxygen and where M.sup.1 and M.sup.2 are metallic components selected from Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, or Cd, or a metal oxide of the foregoing transition metals.

An ion conductive solid comprising an oxide represented by general formula: Li.sub.6xy2zY.sub.1xyzM1.sub.xM2.sub.yM3.sub.zB.sub.3O.sub.9 in formula, M1 and M2 are each independently at least one metal element selected from a group of Zr, Ce and Sn, M3 is Nb, and x, y, and z represent real numbers satisfying 0.000x+y<1.000, 0.000z<1.000, and 0.000

An ion conductive solid comprising an oxide represented by general formula: Li.sub.6xy2zY.sub.1xyzM1.sub.xM2.sub.yM3.sub.zB.sub.3O.sub.9 in formula, M1 and M2 are each independently at least one metal element selected from a group of Zr, Ce and Sn, M3 is Nb, and x, y, and z represent real numbers satisfying 0.000x+y<1.000, 0.000z<1.000, and 0.000

A superconducting material is described. The superconducting material includes a rare-earth barium copper oxide (ReBCO) matrix, 0.01 to 0.5 weight percentage (wt. %), WO.sub.3 nanoparticles, based on the total weight of superconducting material, and 0.01 to 0.5 wt. % barium titanate nanoparticles, based on the total weight of superconducting material. A method of making superconducting material is also described. The method includes mixing WO.sub.3 nanoparticles, barium titanate nanoparticles, and ReBCO particles to form a particulate mixture; pressing the particulate mixture at a pressure of 500 to 1000 megapascals (MPa) to form a solid sample; and heating the solid sample at 800 to 1100 degrees centigrade ( C.) for 1 to 24 hours to form the superconducting material.

A superconducting material is described. The superconducting material includes a rare-earth barium copper oxide (ReBCO) matrix, 0.01 to 0.5 weight percentage (wt. %), WO.sub.3 nanoparticles, based on the total weight of superconducting material, and 0.01 to 0.5 wt. % barium titanate nanoparticles, based on the total weight of superconducting material. A method of making superconducting material is also described. The method includes mixing WO.sub.3 nanoparticles, barium titanate nanoparticles, and ReBCO particles to form a particulate mixture; pressing the particulate mixture at a pressure of 500 to 1000 megapascals (MPa) to form a solid sample; and heating the solid sample at 800 to 1100 degrees centigrade ( C.) for 1 to 24 hours to form the superconducting material.

A metal-supported material including a transition metal excluding Group 4 elements supported on a binary composite oxide. The composite oxide includes a metal element expressed by A.sub.nX.sub.y, where A represents a lanthanoid that is in a partially or entirely trivalent state, X represents an element that is a Group-2 element in a periodic table selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr, and Ba, or a lanthanoid, and that is different from A, n satisfies 0<n<1, y satisfies 0<y<1, m satisfies 0m<1, and n+y=1. The composite oxide includes a solid solution that is a tetragonal crystal or a cubic crystal, and a ratio of a value (D.sub.ads) of a dispersion degree of the transition metal obtained by an H.sub.2 pulse chemical adsorption method to a value (D.sub.TEM) of the dispersion degree predicted from an average particle diameter of particles of the transition metal obtained from a TEM image satisfies 0<D.sub.ads/D.sub.TEM<1.

A metal-supported material including a transition metal excluding Group 4 elements supported on a binary composite oxide. The composite oxide includes a metal element expressed by A.sub.nX.sub.y, where A represents a lanthanoid that is in a partially or entirely trivalent state, X represents an element that is a Group-2 element in a periodic table selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr, and Ba, or a lanthanoid, and that is different from A, n satisfies 0<n<1, y satisfies 0<y<1, m satisfies 0m<1, and n+y=1. The composite oxide includes a solid solution that is a tetragonal crystal or a cubic crystal, and a ratio of a value (D.sub.ads) of a dispersion degree of the transition metal obtained by an H.sub.2 pulse chemical adsorption method to a value (D.sub.TEM) of the dispersion degree predicted from an average particle diameter of particles of the transition metal obtained from a TEM image satisfies 0<D.sub.ads/D.sub.TEM<1.

A method for producing a pyrochlore-type oxide containing a plurality of cations, including an alkali metal cation, in a composition, includes a mixing process in which a plurality of raw materials, each containing one of the plurality of cations, are mixed, and a heating process in which a mixture containing the plurality of raw materials is heated by a liquid-phase method at a predetermined temperature to generate a composite oxide having a corundum structure and containing at least the alkali metal cation in a composition.

A method for producing a pyrochlore-type oxide containing a plurality of cations, including an alkali metal cation, in a composition, includes a mixing process in which a plurality of raw materials, each containing one of the plurality of cations, are mixed, and a heating process in which a mixture containing the plurality of raw materials is heated by a liquid-phase method at a predetermined temperature to generate a composite oxide having a corundum structure and containing at least the alkali metal cation in a composition.