Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods for preparing carbon materials which can be used in battery electrodes. More specifically, embodiments relate to methods for preparing hard carbon materials used as anode materials in metal-ion batteries, such as a sodium-ion battery. In one or more embodiments, a method includes exposing a liquid refinery hydrocarbon product to a first functionalization agent containing sulfur to produce a first solid functionalized product containing sulfur during a first functionalization process. The method further includes purifying the first solid functionalized product during a purification process and exposing the first solid functionalized product to a second functionalization agent containing oxygen to produce a second solid functionalized product containing sulfur and oxygen during a second functionalization process. The method also includes carbonizing the second solid functionalized product to produce a hard carbon product during a carbonization process.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods for preparing carbon materials which can be used in battery electrodes. In one or more embodiments, a method for preparing an anode carbon material is provided and includes combining a liquid refinery hydrocarbon product and a solvent to produce a first mixture, combining the first mixture and a first oxidizing agent containing an acid to produce a second mixture containing the liquid refinery hydrocarbon product, the solvent, and the first oxidizing agent, and heating the second mixture to produce a reaction mixture containing an oxidized solid product during an oxidation process. The method also includes separating the oxidized solid product from the reaction mixture during a separation process and carbonizing the oxidized solid product to produce a hard carbon product during a carbonization process.

An object is to provide a new type of near-infrared ray-emitting phosphor which exhibits excellent emission intensity. A near-infrared ray-emitting phosphor is represented by a general formula, (Y, Lu, Gd).sub.3-x-y (Ga,Al,Sc).sub.5O.sub.12:(Cr.sub.x,(Yb,Nd).sub.y) (0.05<x<0.3, 0≤y<0.3).

A process of conditioning tungsten pentachloride to form specific crystalline phases are disclosed. The specific crystalline phases permit stable vapor pressures over extended periods of time during vapor deposition and etching processes.

A positive-electrode material for a lithium ion secondary battery contains a lithium complex compound that is represented by the formula: Li.sub.1+aNi.sub.bMn.sub.cCo.sub.dTi.sub.eM.sub.fO.sub.2+α, and has an atomic ratio Ti.sup.3+/Ti.sup.4+ between Ti.sup.3+ and Ti.sup.4+, as determined through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, of greater than or equal to 1.5 and less than or equal to 20. In the formula, M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Zr, Mo, and Nb, and a, b, c, d, e, f, and a are numbers satisfying −0.1≤a≤0.2, 0.7<b≤0.9, 0≤c<0.3, 0≤d<0.3, 0<e≤0.25, 0≤f<0.3, b+c+d+e+f=1, and −0.2≤α≤0.2.

A method of producing ceria nanocrystals is provided. The method includes providing a gas that includes ozone to a solution that includes a cerium salt, and obtaining ceria nanocrystals from the solution after the gas is provided to the first solution. A method of producing nanoparticles is provided. The method includes providing a gas that includes ozone to a solution that includes a metal salt that includes at least one of a transition metal or a lanthanide, and producing at least one of metal oxide nanoparticles, metal oxynitrate nanoparticles, or metal oxyhydroxide nanoparticles from the solution after the gas is provided to the solution.

Provided is a method of preparing a sparsely pillared organic-inorganic hybrid compound. The method of preparing an organic-inorganic hybrid compound includes: preparing a compound having a gibbsite structure by a method other than a hydrothermal synthesis method, using a trivalent metal cation source, an alkali imparting agent, and a first solvent (S10); and preparing an organic-inorganic hybrid compound by a method other than a hydrothermal synthesis method, using the compound of the gibbsite structure, a divalent metal cation source, dicarboxylic acid, and a second solvent (S20).

The present invention relates to a positive electrode active material and a lithium secondary battery comprising the same.

Process for preparing alumina gel in a single precipitation step consisting of dissolving an aluminium precursor, aluminium chloride, in water, at a temperature of 10° C. to 90° C. such that the pH of the solution is from 0.5 to 5, for a period of 2 to 60 minutes, then adjusting the pH to 7.5 to 9.5 by adding a basic precursor, sodium hydroxide, to the solution obtained to obtain a suspension, at a temperature of 5° C. to 35° C., and for 5 minutes to 5 hours, followed by a filtration step, said process not comprising any washing steps. Also, novel alumina gel having a high dispersibility index, in particular a dispersibility index of more than 80%, a crystallite dimension of 0.5 to 10 nm, a chlorine content of 0.001% to 2% by weight and a sodium content of 0.001% to 2% by weight, the percentages by weight being expressed with respect to the total weight of the alumina gel.

Solid-state lithium ion electrolytes of lithium silicate based composites are provided which contain an anionic framework capable of conducting lithium ions. An activation energy for lithium ion migration in the solid state lithium ion electrolytes is 0.5 eV or less and room temperature conductivities are greater than 10.sup.0.5 S/cm. Composites of specific formulae are provided and methods to alter the composite materials with inclusion of aliovalent ions shown. Lithium batteries containing the composite lithium ion electrolytes are also provided.