A system for creating targeted vanadium oxide (VO.sub.2) nanoparticle compositions comprising a stock reaction mixture that is a fluid combination of at least one vanadium source combined with at least one dopant source. Each dopant source contains at least one target dopant element. The ratio of the number of vanadium atoms in the vanadium source to the number of target dopant element atoms in the dopant source is less than or equal to 10:1. A solvent that is compatible with said stock reaction mixture is selected. A pressure regulator increases the pressure of the solvent and the stock reaction mixture to between 0 and 5,000 psi. A heating element increases the temperature of the solvent to between 50 and 500° C. A mixing unit receives and mixes a continuous flow of stock reaction mixture with solvent to heat the stock reaction mixture and initiate formation of the targeted vanadium oxide (VO.sub.2) nanoparticle composition.

The present application discloses a positive electrode active material including a lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide, the molar content of nickel in the lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide accounts for 60%-90% of the total molar content of nickel, cobalt and manganese, and the lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide has a layered crystal structure of a space group R 3m; a transition metal layer of the lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide includes a doping element, and the local mass concentration of the doping element in particles of the positive electrode active material has a relative deviation of 20% or less; and in a differential scanning calorimetry spectrum of the positive electrode active material in a 78% delithiation state, an initial exothermic temperature of a main exothermic peak is 200° C. or more, and an integral area of the main exothermic peak is 100 J/g or less.

A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes: a multilayer structure in which ceramic dielectric layers and internal electrode layers are alternately stacked, wherein: a main component of the ceramic dielectric layer is barium titanate in which a donor element having a larger valence than Ti is solid-solved and an acceptor element having a smaller valence than Ti and larger ion radius than Ti and the donor element is solid-solved; a solid-solution amount of the donor element is 0.05 mol or more and 0.3 mol or less on a presumption that an amount of the barium titanate is 100 mol and the donor element is converted into an oxide; and a solid solution amount of the accepter element is 0.02 mol or more and 0.2 mol or less on a presumption that the amount of the barium titanate is 100 mol and the acceptor element is converted into an oxide.

A method of synthesizing bimetallic oxide nanocomposites includes the steps of: providing a first metal salt solution; adding an oxidizing agent to the first metal salt solution while degassing the solution with an inert gas; heating the first metal salt solution; adding a second metal salt solution to the heated first metal salt solution to form a reaction mixture; adding a solution comprising a poly (ionic liquid) into the reaction mixture; adding a first base into the reaction mixture; adding a second base while stirring and maintaining a temperature ranging from about 40° C. to about 65° C. to provide a solution including a bimetallic oxide nanocomposite precipitate. The first metallic salt solution can include FeCl.sub.3 dissolved in water. The second metallic salt solution can include CuCl.sub.2 dissolved in water. The bimetallic oxide nanocomposites can be combined with epoxy resin to coat a steel stubstrate.

A new silicon material is provided. A negative electrode active material including an Al- and O-containing silicon material, the Al- and O-containing silicon material being configured such that a mass % of Al (W.sub.Al %) satisfies 0<W.sub.Al<1, and a peak indicating Al—O bond is observed in a range of 1565 to 1570 eV in an X-ray absorption fine structure measurement for a K shell of Al.

Methods of synthesis of mesoporous silica are disclosed. The mesoporous silica synthesized herein, like SBA-15, possesses a two-dimensional, hexagonal, through-hole structure with a space group p6mm. An effective quantity of one or more water-soluble oxidized disulfide oil (ODSO) compounds are used during synthesis to impart distinct characteristics.

Ion conductive organic-inorganic composite particles are particles that have an organic group on the surface of inorganic particles and have at least a configuration that does not allow the inorganic particles to contact with each other by steric hindrance of the organic group, the organic group containing an ion conductive group.

Provided herein are TiO.sub.2-x nanoparticles and materials that show unusual photophysical and optical properties. These TiO.sub.2-x particles and materials can be used as efficient photocatalysts for the reduction of CO.sub.2 with H.sub.2O to produce CH.sub.4. Also provided herein are methods of making TiO.sub.2-x nanoparticles using a polymer-derived mesoporous carbon (PDMC) as a template.

A composite cathode active material, includes a first metal oxide having a first layered crystal structure; and a second metal oxide having a second layered crystal structure, wherein the second metal oxide includes a layered double oxide (LDO). Also a cathode and a lithium battery including the composite cathode active material.

High specific capacity lithium rich lithium metal oxide materials are coated with inorganic compositions, such as metal fluorides, to improve the performance of the materials as a positive electrode active material. The resulting coated material can exhibit an increased specific capacity, and the material can also exhibit improved cycling. The materials can be formed while maintaining a desired relatively high average voltage such that the materials are suitable for the formation of commercial batteries. Suitable processes are described for the synthesis of the desired coated compositions that can be adapted for commercial production.