A crystal-orientation controlled complex comprising a connected assembly having a thin film shape, in which a plurality of crystal pieces are connected with each other, the crystal pieces having a flake shape and having a main surface and an end surface, wherein the main surface has a crystal orientation relative to a specific crystal plane, and the thin film shaped connected assembly has a polarization singularity.

The disclosure herein relates to rechargeable batteries and solid electrolytes therefore which include lithium-stuffed garnet oxides, for example, in a thin film, pellet, or monolith format wherein the density of defects at a surface or surfaces of the solid electrolyte is less than the density of defects in the bulk. In certain disclosed embodiments, the solid-state anolyte, electrolyte, and catholyte thin films, separators, and monoliths consist essentially of an oxide that conducts Li.sup.+ ions. In some examples, the disclosure herein presents new and useful solid electrolytes for solid-state or partially solid-state batteries. In some examples, the disclosure presents new lithium-stuffed garnet solid electrolytes and rechargeable batteries which include these electrolytes as separators between a cathode and a lithium metal anode.

A method for making MnBi.sub.2Te.sub.4 single crystal is provided. The method includes: providing a mixture of polycrystalline MnTe and polycrystalline Bi.sub.2Te.sub.3 in Molar ratio of 1.1:11:1.1; heating the mixture in a vacuum reaction chamber to 700 C.900 C., cooling the mixture to 570 C.600 C. slowly with a speed less than or equal to 1 C./hour, and annealing the mixture at 570 C.600 C. for a time above 10 days to obtain an intermediate product; and air quenching the intermediate product from 570 C.600 C. to room temperature. The method for making MnBi.sub.2Te.sub.4 single crystal is simple and has low cost.

The present invention relates to a method for making a Pickering emulsion, the method comprising: exfoliating a non-silicate layered 3D material in a solvent to produce particles of a non-silicate unfunctionalised 2D material; forming a dispersion of the particles of the 2D material in a first liquid phase; adding a second liquid phase; and homogenising the dispersion of the 2D material in the first liquid phase with the second liquid phase to form a Pickering emulsion comprising the first liquid phase, the second liquid phase, and the particles of the 2D material.

A process for forming cubic LLZO through the use of atomic mixing of metal salts used in an aerosol process. The cubic LLZO is formed at temperatures below 1000 C.

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+, 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 0.1a0.2, 0.7<b0.9, 0c<0.3, 0d<0.3, 0<e0.25, 0f<0.3, b+c+d+e+f=1, and 0.20.2.

A method for making MnBi.sub.2Te.sub.4 single crystal is provided. The method includes: providing a mixture of polycrystalline MnTe and polycrystalline Bi.sub.2Te.sub.3 in Molar ratio of 1.1:11:1.1; heating the mixture in a vacuum reaction chamber to 700 C.900 C., cooling the mixture to 570 C.600 C. slowly with a speed less than or equal to 1 C./hour, and annealing the mixture at 570 C.600 C. for a time above 10 days to obtain an intermediate product; and air quenching the intermediate product from 570 C.600 C. to room temperature. The method for making MnBi.sub.2Te.sub.4 single crystal is simple and has low cost.

A composite material includes: coated particles, each of which includes a carbon-based particle made of a carbon-based substance and a carbide layer that covers at least a part of the surface of the carbon-based particle; and a copper phase that binds the coated particles to each other, wherein the carbide layer is made of a carbide containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Si, Ti, Zr and Hf, and the average particle size of the carbon-based particles is 1 m or more and 100 m or less.

A method for forming a cathode includes milling a suspension of precursors via a micromedia mill to form a mixture of primary particles in the suspension. The precursors include one or more metal compounds. The method includes spray drying the suspension after the milling to form secondary particles. The secondary particles are agglomerations of the primary particles. The method also includes annealing the secondary particles to form a disordered rocksalt powder.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a plasma spray material which is capable of forming a hydroxyapatite film that exhibits high adhesion strength with respect to substrates such as metal substrates. When used as a plasma spray material, hydroxyapatite powder having a modal diameter of 550-1000 nm in a pore diameter of at most 5000 nm as measured by a mercury intrusion method is capable of forming a hydroxyapatite film that exhibits high adhesion strength with respect to substrates such as metal substrates.