The invention relates to polyoxometalates represented by the formula (A.sub.n).sup.m+{M′.sub.s[M″M.sub.12X.sub.8O.sub.yR.sub.zH.sub.q]}.sup.m− or solvates thereof, corresponding supported polyoxometalates, and processes for their preparation, as well as corresponding metal-clusters, optionally in the form of a dispersion in a liquid carrier medium or immobilized on a solid support, and processes for their preparation, as well as their use in reductive conversion of organic substrate.

Provided is a high-density lithium-containing garnet crystal body. The lithium-containing garnet crystal body has a relative density of 99% or more, belongs to a tetragonal system, and has a garnet-related type structure. A method of producing a Li.sub.7La.sub.3Zr.sub.2O.sub.12 crystal, which is one example of this lithium-containing garnet crystal body, includes melting a portion of a rod-like raw material composed of polycrystalline Li.sub.7La.sub.3Zr.sub.2O.sub.12 belonging to a tetragonal system while rotating it on a plane perpendicular to the longer direction and moving the melted portion in the longer direction. The moving rate of the melted portion is preferably 8 mm/h or more but not more than 19 mm/h. The rotational speed of the raw material is preferably 30 rpm or more but not more than 60 rpm. By increasing the moving rate of the melted portion, decomposition of the raw material due to evaporation of lithium can be prevented and by increasing the rotational speed of the raw material, air bubbles can be removed.

The present invention relates to a positive electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery, and a lithium secondary battery including the same, and the positive electrode active material includes lithium cobalt oxide particles. The lithium cobalt oxide particles include lithium cobalt oxide having a Li/Co molar ratio of less than 1 in the particles. Good rate property and life property may be obtained without worrying on the deterioration of initial capacity property.

This powder satisfies requirements 1 and 2.

Requirement 1: |dA(T)/dT| satisfies 10 ppm/° C. or more at at least one temperature Ti in a range of −200° C. to 1200° C. A is (a-axis (shorter axis) lattice constant) of a crystal in the powder)/(c-axis (longer axis) lattice constant of the crystal in the powder), and each of the lattice constants is obtained by X-ray diffractometry of the powder. Requirement 2: a particle diameter D50 at a cumulative frequency of 50%, a particle diameter D10 at a cumulative frequency of 10%, and a particle diameter D90 at a cumulative frequency of 90% in a volume-based cumulative particle diameter distribution curve obtained by a laser diffraction scattering method satisfy conditions (I) and (II): (I) D10/D50 is 0.05 or more and 0.45 or less; and (II) 190 is 0.5 μm or more and 70 μm or less.

A solid composition contains a first material and a powder and satisfies requirements 1 and 2. Requirement 1: |dA(T)/dT| satisfies 10 ppm/° C. or more at least at −200° C. to 1,200° C. A is (an a-axis lattice constant of a crystal in the powder)/(a c-axis lattice constant of a crystal in the powder), obtained from X-ray diffractometry of the powder. Requirement 2: C is 0.04 or more. C is (a log differential pore volume when a pore diameter of the solid composition is B in a pore distribution curve of the solid composition)/(a log differential pore volume corresponding to a maximum peak intensity in the pore distribution curve of the solid composition). B is (a pore diameter giving a maximum peak intensity in the pore distribution curve of the solid composition)/2. The pore distribution curve of the solid composition shows a relationship between the pore diameter and the log differential pore volume.

The present disclosure provides for compositions, methods of making compositions, and methods of using the composition. In an aspect, the composition can be a reactive material that can be used to split a gas such as water or carbon dioxide.

This disclosure will describe a novel finding and make the claim for the first time on a group of old compounds and formulated new compounds. These compounds have superconducting property at high temperatures, i.e., 151K or higher. Several compounds were prepared, though not well-purified, at around middle of 1900s. Their chemical, structural, electric and magnetic properties were studied and reported but their superconducting property has not been known and has never been exploited because the idea of type-II superconductivity was not proposed at that time. Consequently, we claim this finding as an invention even though our invention is based on the studies of the compounds' electric and magnetic properties along with their crystallographic features from the previous publications. The experiments to further verify their high temperature superconductivity require the utilization of sophisticated facilities on synthesizing highly pure compounds and the deregulation from government security authorities on purchasing the starting materials.

To provide an oxide semiconductor with a novel structure. Such an oxide semiconductor is composed of an aggregation of a plurality of InGaZnO.sub.4 crystals each of which is larger than or equal to 1 nm and smaller than or equal to 3 nm, and in the oxide semiconductor, the plurality of InGaZnO.sub.4 crystals have no orientation. Alternatively, such an oxide semiconductor is such that a diffraction pattern like a halo pattern is observed by electron diffraction measurement performed by using an electron beam with a probe diameter larger than or equal to 300 nm, and that a diffraction pattern having a plurality of spots arranged circularly is observed by electron diffraction measurement performed by using an electron beam with a probe diameter larger than or equal to 1 nm and smaller than or equal to 30 nm.

According to one embodiment, there is provided an active substance. The active substance includes secondary particles and a carbon material phase formed on at least a part of a surface of each of the secondary particles. Each of the secondary particles is constructed by aggregated primary particles of an active material. The primary particles of the active material includes a niobium composite oxide represented by Li.sub.xM.sub.(1−y)Nb.sub.yNb.sub.2O.sub.(7+δ), wherein M is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ti and Zr, and x, y, and δ respectively satisfy 0≦x≦6, 0≦y≦1, and −1≦δ≦1. The secondary particles have a compression fracture strength of 10 MPa or more.

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.