Particles with suitable properties may be generated using systems and methods provided herein. The particles may include carbon particles.

A chalcogen-containing compound of the following Chemical Formula 1, which may have decreased thermal conductivity and improved power factor in the low temperature region, and thus exhibit an excellent thermoelectric figure of merit, a method for preparing the same, and a thermoelectric element including the same:

V.sub.1Sn.sub.axIn.sub.xSb.sub.2Te.sub.a+3[Chemical Formula l]

wherein V, a and x are as defined in the specification.

A method for enhancing the efficiency of a liquid fuel is described. The method involves the addition of cobalt hydroxystannate nanoparticles to the liquid fuel to produce an enhanced liquid fuel. The cobalt hydroxystannate nanoparticles may be present at a concentration of 50-200 ppm, and may increase the calorific value of the fuel by a factor of 25-52 times.

A solid electrolyte material having high ion conductivity and a all-solid-state lithium-ion secondary battery using this solid electrolyte material are provided. The solid electrolyte material has a garnet-related structure crystal represented by the chemical composition Li.sub.7xyLa.sub.3Zr.sub.2xyTa.sub.xNb.sub.yO.sub.12 (0.05x+y0.2, x0, y0), which belongs to an orthorhombic system and a space group belonging to Ibca. The solid electrolyte material has lithium-ion conductivity at 25 C. of at least 1.010.sup.4 S/cm. Also, in this solid electrolyte material, the lattice constants are 1.29 nma1.32 nm, 1.26 nmb1.29 nm, and 1.29 nmc1.32 nm, and three 16f sites and one 8d site in the crystal structure are occupied by lithium-ions. The all-solid-state lithium-ion secondary battery has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a solid electrolyte, the solid electrolyte comprising this solid electrolyte material.

A solid electrolyte material having high ion conductivity and a all-solid-state lithium-ion secondary battery using this solid electrolyte material are provided. The solid electrolyte material has a garnet-related structure crystal represented by the chemical composition Li.sub.7xyLa.sub.3Zr.sub.2xyTa.sub.xNb.sub.yO.sub.12 (0.05x+y0.2, x0, y0), which belongs to an orthorhombic system and a space group belonging to Ibca. The solid electrolyte material has lithium-ion conductivity at 25 C. of at least 1.010.sup.4 S/cm. Also, in this solid electrolyte material, the lattice constants are 1.29 nma1.32 nm, 1.26 nmb1.29 nm, and 1.29 nmc1.32 nm, and three 16f sites and one 8d site in the crystal structure are occupied by lithium-ions. The all-solid-state lithium-ion secondary battery has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a solid electrolyte, the solid electrolyte comprising this solid electrolyte material.

Single crystals of a new noncentrosymmetric polar oxysulfide SrZn.sub.2S.sub.2O (s.g. Pmn2.sub.1) grown in a eutectic KFKCl flux with unusual wurtzite-like slabs consisting of close-packed corrugated double layers of ZnS.sub.3O tetrahedra vertically separated from each other by Sr atoms and methods of making same.

Provided is a carbonaceous material used in a negative electrode of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that shows favorable charge/discharge capacities and low resistance and having favorable resistance to oxidative degradation. The carbonaceous material has an average interplanar spacing d.sub.002 of the (002) plane of 0.36 to 0.42 nm calculated by using the Bragg equation according to a wide-angle X-ray diffraction method, a specific surface area of 20 to 65 m.sup.2/g obtained by a nitrogen adsorption BET three-point method, a nitrogen element content of 0.3 mass % or less, an oxygen element content of 2.5 mass % or less, and an average particle diameter of 1 to 4 m according to a laser scattering method.

The present invention relates to entangled-type carbon nanotubes which have a bulk density of 31 kg/m.sup.3 to 85 kg/m.sup.3 and a ratio of tapped bulk density to bulk density of 1.37 to 2.05, and a method for preparing the entangled-type carbon nanotubes.

This method for producing a SiC single crystal includes a first growth step of growing a crystal from a seed crystal in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the <0001> direction, a second growth step of growing the crystal in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the <0001> direction and substantially orthogonal to the direction of crystal growth in the first growth step, a third growth step of growing the crystal along the direction of crystal growth in the first growth step but in the opposite orientation to the orientation of crystal growth in the first growth step, and a fourth growth step of growing the crystal along the direction of crystal growth in the second growth step but in the opposite orientation to the orientation of crystal growth in the second growth step.

A method of making and using a new family of crystalline microporous metalloalumino(gallo)phosphosilicate molecular sieves is disclosed. These molecular sieves have been synthesized and are designated high charge density (HCD) MeAPSOs. These metalloalumino(gallo)phosphosilicates are represented by the empirical formula of:
R.sup.p+.sub.rA.sup.+.sub.mM.sup.2+.sub.wE.sub.xPSi.sub.yO.sub.z
where A is an alkali metal such as potassium, R is at least one quaternary ammonium cation such as ethyltrimethylammonium, M is a divalent metal such as Zn and E is a trivalent framework element such as aluminum or gallium. This family of metalloalumino(gallo)phosphosilicate materials is stabilized by combinations of alkali and quaternary ammonium cations, enabling unique, high charge density compositions. The HCD MeAPSO family of materials have catalytic properties for carrying out various hydrocarbon conversion processes and separation properties for separating at least one component.