A method for preparing a niobium, titanium or vanadium metal oxide nanostructured material is provided. The method comprises providing an aqueous reagent comprising (i) a soluble metal oxalate, and/or (ii) oxalic acid and a metal oxide precursor, adding a buffering agent to the aqueous reagent to form a mixture, and heating the mixture under hydrothermal conditions to obtain the metal oxide nanostructured material. The metal oxide nanostructured material may also be doped with a dopant metal such as titanium to enhance capacity and cycling stability. An electrode comprising the metal oxide nanostructured material, and an electrochemical cell containing the electrode are also provided.

A method for preparing a niobium, titanium or vanadium metal oxide nanostructured material is provided. The method comprises providing an aqueous reagent comprising (i) a soluble metal oxalate, and/or (ii) oxalic acid and a metal oxide precursor, adding a buffering agent to the aqueous reagent to form a mixture, and heating the mixture under hydrothermal conditions to obtain the metal oxide nanostructured material. The metal oxide nanostructured material may also be doped with a dopant metal such as titanium to enhance capacity and cycling stability. An electrode comprising the metal oxide nanostructured material, and an electrochemical cell containing the electrode are also provided.

A novel metal oxide is provided. A semiconductor device with favorable electrical characteristics is provided. The metal oxide has a plurality of energy gaps, and includes a first region having a high energy level of a conduction band minimum and a second region having an energy level of a conduction band minimum lower than that of the first region. The second region includes more carriers than the first region. A difference between the energy level of the conduction band minimum of the first region and the energy level of the conduction band minimum of the second region is greater than or equal to 0.2 eV.

A novel metal oxide is provided. A semiconductor device with favorable electrical characteristics is provided. The metal oxide has a plurality of energy gaps, and includes a first region having a high energy level of a conduction band minimum and a second region having an energy level of a conduction band minimum lower than that of the first region. The second region includes more carriers than the first region. A difference between the energy level of the conduction band minimum of the first region and the energy level of the conduction band minimum of the second region is greater than or equal to 0.2 eV.

A niobate compound is provided that has excellent reactivity with alkali metal salts and can be reacted with alkali metal salts at room temperature. The niobate compound has a ratio (first peak/second peak) of the intensity of a peak (first peak) having the highest intensity at 2θ=9.4°±1.5° to the intensity of a peak (second peak) having the highest intensity at 2θ=29.0°±1.5° being 1.3 or more in the X-ray diffraction pattern.

A niobate compound is provided that has excellent reactivity with alkali metal salts and can be reacted with alkali metal salts at room temperature. The niobate compound has a ratio (first peak/second peak) of the intensity of a peak (first peak) having the highest intensity at 2θ=9.4°±1.5° to the intensity of a peak (second peak) having the highest intensity at 2θ=29.0°±1.5° being 1.3 or more in the X-ray diffraction pattern.

Provided is a fine particle production apparatus and a fine particle production method capable of easily obtaining surface treated fine particles. The fine particle production apparatus produces fine particles using feedstock by means of a gas-phase process. The apparatus includes a treatment section configured to transform the feedstock into a mixture in a gas phase state by means of the gas-phase process, a feedstock supply section configured to supply the feedstock to the treatment section, a cooling section configured to cool the mixture in a gas phase state in the treatment section using a quenching gas containing an inert gas, and a supply section configured to supply a surface treating agent to fine particle bodies in a temperature region in which the surface treating agent is not denatured, the fine particle bodies being produced by cooling the mixture in the gas phase state with the quenching gas.

Porous metal oxide microspheres are prepared via a process comprising forming a liquid dispersion of polymer nanoparticles and a metal oxide; forming liquid droplets of the dispersion; drying the droplets to provide polymer template microspheres comprising polymer nanospheres; and removing the polymer nanospheres from the template microspheres to provide the porous metal oxide microspheres. The porous microspheres exhibit saturated colors and are suitable as colorants for a variety of end-uses.

Porous metal oxide microspheres are prepared via a process comprising forming a liquid dispersion of polymer nanoparticles and a metal oxide; forming liquid droplets of the dispersion; drying the droplets to provide polymer template microspheres comprising polymer nanospheres; and removing the polymer nanospheres from the template microspheres to provide the porous metal oxide microspheres. The porous microspheres exhibit saturated colors and are suitable as colorants for a variety of end-uses.

A metal double salt dispersion liquid including an organic solvent and a metal double salt, wherein the metal double salt has a composition represented by M(R.sup.1COO).sub.m-x-y(OH).sub.xA.sub.y(H.sub.2O).sub.z, where M is a metal element, R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, A is an anion, m is a valence of the metal element M, 0<x+y<m, x>0, y≥0, and z≥0, and when the metal double salt dispersion liquid is subjected to a centrifugal operation at a relative centrifugal force of 10,000 G for 5 minutes, a proportion of metal elements not forming a precipitate to all metal elements contained in a total of the metal double salt dispersion liquid is 10.0 mol % or more.