Zinc oxide coated with silicon oxide of the present invention is zinc oxide which is coated with silicon oxide wherein surfaces of zinc oxide particles are coated with silicon oxide coatings, and the coated zinc oxide particles comprises at least one element selected from a group consisting of Mg, Ca, and Ba.

According to one embodiment, there is provided an active material that includes a composite oxide having a crystal structure belonging to a space group Fmmm. The composite oxide is represented by the formula: Li.sub.2+xNa.sub.2-yM.sub.zTi.sub.6O.sub.14+δ. Herein, M includes at least one of Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba. x is within a range of 0≦x≦6. y is within a range of 0<y<2. z is within a range of 0<z<1. δ is within a range of −0.5≦δ≦0.5. Further, y is greater than z.

According to one embodiment, an active material is provided. The active material includes a composite oxide including yttrium atoms in an orthorhombic crystal structure thereof. Also included in the orthorhombic crystal structure of the composite oxide is at least one selected from the group consisting of alkali metal atoms and alkaline earth metal atoms. Among crystal sites represented by Wyckoff notations in the orthorhombic crystal structure, an occupancy of crystal sites that can be occupied by the alkali metal atoms or by the alkaline earth metal atoms is less than 100%.

A conductive material including a first element selected from a transition metal, a platinum-group element, a rare earth element, and a combination thereof, a second element having an atomic radius which is 10 percent less than to 10 percent greater than an atomic radius of the first element, and a chalcogen element, wherein the conductive material has a layered crystal structure.

A manganese oxide contains M1, optionally M2, Mn and O. M1 is selected from the group consisting of In, Sc, Y, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu. M2 is different from M1, and M2 is selected from the group consisting of Bi, In, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu. These ceramic materials are hexagonal in structure, and provide superior materials for gas separation and oxygen storage.

This disclosure provides an optical parametric oscillator, comprising, in a light path, a first lens, a laser crystal, a second lens, a nonlinear optical crystal, and a third lens in this order, wherein an optical parametric oscillation chamber is formed between the second lens and the third lens, and the nonlinear optical crystal is a monoclinic Ga.sub.2S.sub.3 crystal, the space group of the monoclinic Ga.sub.2S.sub.3 crystal is Cc, and the unit cell parameters are a=11.1 Å, b=6.4 Å, c=7.0 Å, α=90°, β=121°, γ=90°, and Z=4.

An electromagnetic wave absorbing laminated transparent base material includes a plurality of sheets of transparent base materials; and an electromagnetic wave absorbing particle dispersoid including at least electromagnetic wave absorbing particles and a thermoplastic resin. The electromagnetic wave absorbing particles contain hexagonal tungsten bronze having oxygen deficiency. The tungsten bronze is expressed by a general formula: M.sub.xWO.sub.3−y (where one or more elements M include at least one or more species selected from among K, Rb, and Cs, 0.15≤x≤0.33, and 0<y≤0.46). Oxygen vacancy concentration N.sub.V in the electromagnetic wave absorbing particles is greater than or equal to 4.3×10.sup.14 cm.sup.−3 and less than or equal to 8.0×10.sup.21 cm.sup.−3. The electromagnetic wave absorbing particle dispersoid is arranged between the plurality of sheets of the transparent base materials.

Novel colored compounds with a hibonite structure and a method for making the same are disclosed. The compounds may have a formula AAl.sub.12−x−yM.sup.a.sub.xM.sup.b.sub.yO.sub.19 where A is typically an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, a rare earth metal, Pb, Bi or any combination thereof, and M.sup.a is Ni, Fe, Cu, Cr, V, Mn, or Co or any combination thereof, and M.sup.b is Ti, Sn, Ge, Si, Zr, Hf, Ga, In, Zn, Mg, Nb, Ta, Sb, Mo, W or Te or any combination thereof. Compounds with varying colors, such as blue, can be made by varying A, M.sup.a and M.sup.b and their relative amounts. Compositions comprising the compounds and methods for making and using the same are also disclosed.

There is provided a polycrystalline cubic boron nitride containing a cubic boron nitride at a content greater than or equal to 98.5% by volume, the polycrystalline cubic boron nitride having a dislocation density less than or equal to 8×10.sup.15/m.sup.2.

A positive-electrode active material precursor for lithium-ion secondary battery includes: a metal complex hydroxide particle, that includes nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), zirconium (Zr), and an additive element M (M). When a linear analysis is performed by EDX on a cross section of the metal complex hydroxide particle along a direction of diameter from a center, a ratio of a maximum zirconium concentration to an average zirconium concentration is 2 or less.