Methods of forming spinel ferrite nanoparticles containing a chromium-substituted copper ferrite as well as properties (e.g. particle size, crystallite size, pore size, surface area) of these spinel ferrite nanoparticles are described. Methods of preventing or reducing microbe growth on a surface by applying these spinel ferrite nanoparticles onto the surface in the form of a suspension or an antimicrobial product are also described.

A method for manufacturing a zinc ferrite film includes forming a zinc ferrite film on a base material by having a reaction liquid, which contains metal ions including only bivalent iron ions and bivalent zinc ions, contact an oxidation liquid, which contains an oxidant that oxidizes the metal ions, in the presence of a pH adjuster. The pH adjuster includes a carbonate of ammonium and an alkali metal salt of mono-carboxylic acid.

According to the present invention, there are provided lithium titanate particles which exhibit an excellent initial discharge capacity and an enhanced high-efficiency discharge capacity retention rate as an active substance for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary batteries and a process for producing the lithium titanate particles, and Mg-containing lithium titanate particles.

An antimicrobial material including a substrate and an antimicrobial mixed metal oxide, mixed metal sulfide, or mixed metal oxysulfide in and/or on the substrate is described, as well as antimicrobial coating materials and coatings formed therefrom. The antimicrobial material may be constituted in an antimicrobial surface of a surface-presenting substrate, to combat transmission and spread of microbial disease, e.g., disease mediated by microbial pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Antimicrobial mixed metal oxide, mixed metal sulfide, or mixed metal oxysulfide as described may be contacted with microorganisms to effect inactivation thereof.

The present invention provides, as a lithium-containing transition metal oxide, a substance which is given by the chemical compositional formula Li.sub.4M.sub.5O.sub.12 (M=Cr, Co, or Zr) and has a spinel-type crystal structure. Provided is a lithium ion secondary cell having a positive electrode configured from a lithium-containing transition metal oxide which has a spinel-type crystal structure and has the chemical compositional formula Li.sub.4M.sub.5O.sub.12 (M=Cr or Co). The present invention further provides a lithium ion secondary cell having a negative electrode configured from a lithium-containing transition metal oxide which has a spinel-type crystal structure and has the chemical compositional formula Li.sub.4M.sub.5O.sub.12 (M=Zr).

A process for producing a lithium-manganese-nickel oxide spinel material includes maintaining a solution comprising a dissolved lithium compound, a dissolved manganese compound, a dissolved nickel compound, a hydroxycarboxylic acid, a polyhydroxy alcohol, and, optionally, an additional metallic compound, at an elevated temperature T.sub.1, where T.sub.1 is below the boiling point of the solution, until the solution gels. The gel is maintained at an elevated temperature until it ignites and burns to form a Li—Mn—Ni—O powder. The Li—Mn—Ni—O powder is calcined to burn off carbon and/or other impurities present in the powder. The resultant calcined powder is optionally subjected 1 to microwave treatment, to obtain a treated powder, which is annealed to crystallize the powder. The resultant annealed material is optionally subjected to microwave treatment. At least one of the microwave treatments is carried out. The lithium-manganese-nickel oxide spinel material is thereby obtained.

A doped spinel comprising the formula:
Li.sub.1±wMe1.sub.vMe2.sub.x-vMn.sub.2-x-yTiyO.sub.4-zF.sub.z
where, 0≦w<1, 0.3<x≦0.7, 0.3≦v<0.7, x>v, 0.0001≦y≦0.35, and 0.0001≦z≦0.3. Me1 is a metal selected from a group of elements consisting of Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn. Me2 is a metal selected from a group of elements consisting of Ni, Fe, Co, Mg, Cr, V, Ru, Mg, Al, Zn, Cu, Cd, Ag, Y, Sc, Ga, In, As, Sb, Pt, Au, and B.

Positive electrode active material particle powder includes: lithium manganese oxide particle powder having Li and Mn as main components and a cubic spinel structure with an Fd-3m space group. The lithium manganese oxide particle powder is composed of secondary particles, which are aggregates of primary particles, an average particle diameter (D50) of the secondary particles being from 4 μm to 20 μm, and at least 80% of the primary particles exposed on surfaces of the secondary particles each have a polyhedral shape having at least one (110) plane that is adjacent to two (111) planes.

Zero-Rare Earth Metal (ZREM) and Zero-platinum group metals (ZPGM) compositions of varied binary spinel oxides are disclosed as oxygen storage material (OSM) to be used within TWC systems. The ZREM-ZPGM OSM systems comprise binary non-Cu spinel oxides of Co—Fe, Fe—Mn, Co—Mn, or Mn—Fe. The oxygen storage capacity (OSC) property associated with the non-Cu ZREM-ZPGM OSM systems is determined employing isothermal OSC oscillating condition testing. Further, the OSC test results compare the OSC properties of a ZREM-ZPGM reference OSM system including a Cu—Mn binary spinel oxide and PGM reference catalysts including Ce-based OSMs. The non-Cu spinel oxides ZREM-ZPGM OSM systems exhibit significantly improved OSC properties, which are greater than the OSC property of the Ce-based OSM PGM reference systems.

The present application provides a positive electrode active material, a preparation method therefor and the use thereof. The positive electrode active material may comprise a spinel lithium nickel manganese oxide material, wherein the spinel lithium nickel manganese oxide material has the following chemical formula: Li.sub.aNi.sub.0.5−xMn.sub.1.5−yM.sub.x+yO.sub.4, wherein M is selected from at least one of Mg, Zn, Ti, Zr, W, Nb, Al, B, P, Mo, V, or Cr, 0.9≤a≤1.1, −0.2≤x≤0.2, −0.02≤y≤0.3, and x+y≥0; the Mn.sup.3+ content in the spinel lithium nickel manganese oxide material may be less than or equal to 0.7 wt %.