There is provided a method for preparation of oxide support-nanoparticle composites, in which metal nanoparticles decorate with uniform size and distribution on the surface of an oxide support, and thus, high performance oxide support-nanoparticle composites that can be applied in the fields of heterogeneous catalysis can be provided.

Nanowire synthesis and one dimensional nanowire synthesis of titanates and cobaltates. Exemplary titanates and cobaltates that are fabricated and discussed include, without limitation, strontium titanate (SrTiO.sub.3), barium titanate (BaTiO.sub.3), lead titanate (PbTiO.sub.3), calcium cobaltate (Ca.sub.3Co.sub.4O.sub.9) and sodium cobaltate (NaCo.sub.2O.sub.4).

Various examples are provided for multiferroic thin films. In one example, a multiferroic thin film device includes a thin film of multiferroic material and an electrode disposed on a side of the thin film of multiferroic material. The multiferroic material can be (Fe.sub.x,Sr.sub.1-x)TiO.sub.3 In another example, a method for producing a multiferroic thin film includes forming a multiferroic pre-cursor; disposing the multiferroic precursor on a substrate to form a multiferroic coating; pre-baking the multiferroic coating on the substrate to form a pre-baked multiferroic thin film; and annealing the pre-baked multiferroic thin film under an oxygen atmosphere to form a crystalized multiferroic thin film. One or more electrodes can be formed on the crystalized multiferroic thin film.

According to one embodiment, there is provided an active material for a battery. The active material includes secondary particle which contains primary particles of a monoclinic β-type titanium composite oxide having an average primary particle diameter of 1 nm to 10 μm. The secondary particle has an average secondary particle diameter of 1 μm to 100 μm. The secondary particle has compression fracture strength of 20 MPa or more.

A method of arranging nanocrystals is provided, which includes a first process of putting barium titanate nanocrystals and/or strontium titanate nanocrystals, and a nonpolar solvent into a container, a second process of collecting a supernatant liquid including the barium titanate nanocrystals and/or the strontium titanate nanocrystals from the container, and a third process of immersing a substrate having an uneven structure into the supernatant liquid, and pulling up the substrate so as to coat the surface of the uneven structure with the supernatant liquid by using a capillary phenomenon, and to arrange the nanocrystals on the uneven structure.

According to one embodiment, there is provided an active material that includes a composite oxide having a crystal structure belonging to a space group Fmmm. The composite oxide is represented by the formula: Li.sub.2+xNa.sub.2-yM.sub.zTi.sub.6O.sub.14+δ. Herein, M includes at least one of Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba. x is within a range of 0≦x≦6. y is within a range of 0<y<2. z is within a range of 0<z<1. δ is within a range of −0.5≦δ≦0.5. Further, y is greater than z.

According to one embodiment, an active material is provided. The active material includes a composite oxide including yttrium atoms in an orthorhombic crystal structure thereof. Also included in the orthorhombic crystal structure of the composite oxide is at least one selected from the group consisting of alkali metal atoms and alkaline earth metal atoms. Among crystal sites represented by Wyckoff notations in the orthorhombic crystal structure, an occupancy of crystal sites that can be occupied by the alkali metal atoms or by the alkaline earth metal atoms is less than 100%.

According to one embodiment, there is provided an active material. The active material includes particles of a Na-containing niobium titanium composite oxide having an orthorhombic crystal structure. An intensity ratio I.sub.1/I.sub.2 is within a range of 0.12≦I.sub.1/I.sub.2≦0.25 in an X-ray diffraction pattern of the active material, according to X-ray diffraction measurement using a Cu-Kα ray. I.sub.1 is a peak intensity of a peak P.sub.1 that is present within a range where 2θ is 27° to 28° in the X-ray diffraction pattern of the active material. I.sub.2 is a peak intensity of a peak P.sub.2 that is present within a range where 2θ is 23° to 24° in the X-ray diffraction pattern of the active material.

A silicon nanoparticle-containing hydrogen polysilsesquioxane sintered product-metal oxide complex comprising a silicon nanoparticle-containing hydrogen polysilsesquioxane sintered product and a metal oxide, wherein the silicon nanoparticle-containing hydrogen polysilsesquioxane sintered product contains 5 wt % to 95 wt % of silicon nanoparticles having a volume-based mean particle size of more than 10 nm but less than 500 nm, and a hydrogen polysilsesquioxane-derived silicon oxide structure that coats the silicon nanoparticles and is chemically bonded to the surfaces of the silicon nanoparticles. The silicon nanoparticle-containing hydrogen polysilsesquioxane sintered product is represented by the general formula SiO.sub.xH.sub.y (0.01<x<1.35, 0<y<0.35) and has Si—H bonds. The metal oxide consists of one or more metals selected from titanium, zinc, zirconium, aluminum, and iron.

An electromechanical transducer includes an electromechanical transducer film of laminated layers including a perovskite-type complex oxide represented by a general formula of ABO.sub.3; and a pair of electrodes opposed to each other with the electromechanical transducer film interposed between the pair of electrodes. In the general formula of ABO.sub.3, A includes Pb and B includes Zr and Ti. A variable ratio ΔPb of Pb, determined by Pb(max)−Pb(min), is 6% or less and a variable ratio ΔZr of Zr, determined by Zr(max)−Zr(min), is 9% or less, where an atomic weight ratio of Pb in the electromechanical transducer film is denoted by Pb/B, an atomic weight ratio of Zr in the electromechanical transducer film is denoted by Zr/B, a maximum value and a minimum value of the atomic weight ratio of Pb in a film thickness direction of the electromechanical transducer film are denoted by Pb(max) and Pb(min), respectively, and a maximum value and a minimum value of the atomic weight ratio of Zr in the film thickness direction of the electromechanical transducer film are denoted by Zr(max) and Zr(min), respectively.