A class of compositions that are inclusive of a lithium metal oxide or oxyfluoride compound having a general formula: LiTM[n]OF where TM[n] represents a number of transition metal species inclusive of transitional metal species differentiated by charge or d.sup.0 electron shell conformation, with [n] being at least 4 of said transitional metal species, and wherein said lithium metal oxide or oxyfluoride has a cation-disordered rocksalt (DRX) structure and a mitigated SRO via a high entropy DRX design strategy. Also featured is a method of synthesizing the high entropy DRX lithium metal oxide or oxyfluoride compounds, as well as usage of the same in Li-ion batteries, with particular utility in cathodes of such Li-ion batteries.

A method of producing ceria nanocrystals is provided. The method includes providing a gas that includes ozone to a solution that includes a cerium salt, and obtaining ceria nanocrystals from the solution after the gas is provided to the first solution. A method of producing nanoparticles is provided. The method includes providing a gas that includes ozone to a solution that includes a metal salt that includes at least one of a transition metal or a lanthanide, and producing at least one of metal oxide nanoparticles, metal oxynitrate nanoparticles, or metal oxyhydroxide nanoparticles from the solution after the gas is provided to the solution.

A positive-electrode active material contains a lithium composite oxide containing at least one selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, N, and S. The crystal structure of the lithium composite oxide belongs to a space group C2/m. An XRD pattern of the lithium composite oxide comprises a first peak within the first range of 44 degrees to 46 degrees of a diffraction angle 2θ and a second peak within the second range of 18 degrees to 20 degrees of the diffraction angle 2θ. The ratio of the second integrated intensity of the second peak to the first integrated intensity of the first peak is within a range of 0.05 to 0.90.

The invention relates to Chevrel-phase materials and methods of preparing these materials utilizing a precursor approach. The Chevrel-phase materials are useful in assembling electrodes, e.g., cathodes, for use in electrochemical cells, such as rechargeable batteries. The Chevrel-phase materials have a general formula of Mo.sub.6Z.sub.8 (Z=sulfur) or Mo.sub.6Z.sup.1.sub.8-yZ.sup.2.sub.y (Z.sup.1=sulfur; Z.sup.2=selenium), and partially cuprated Cu.sub.1Mo.sub.6S.sub.8 as well as partially de-cuprated Cu.sub.1-xMg.sub.xMo.sub.6S.sub.8 and the precursors have a general formula of M.sub.xMo.sub.6Z.sub.8 or M.sub.xMo.sub.6Z.sup.1.sub.8-yZ.sup.2.sub.y, M=Cu. The cathode containing the Chevrel-phase material in accordance with the invention can be combined with a magnesium-containing anode and an electrolyte.

The present invention refers to a dry composition for chemical and physical sun protection, the composition comprising a) at least one calcium carbonate, and b) from 0.1 wt.-% to 100 wt.-%, based on the dry weight of the at least one calcium carbonate of step a) of at least one lignin. Furthermore, the present invention refers to a fluid composition comprising the inventive dry composition as well as to an emulsion comprising the inventive dry composition. The present invention also refers to the use of the inventive compositions for sun protection of plants and parts thereof as well as the use of the inventive emulsion for chemical and physical sun protection in a cosmetic formulation.

High surface area, high entropy oxides comprising multiple metal cations in a single-phase fluorite lattice material enables intrinsic catalytic activity without platinum group metals, tunable oxygen storage capacity, and thermal stability. These properties can be obtained through a facile sol-gel synthesis to provide a low-temperature route for production of phase-pure multi-cationic oxides. The resulting materials achieved significantly higher surface area and catalytic performance, taking advantage of all the properties endowed by the various cations in the composition.

A compound represented by the Formula 1 and having an argyrodite-type crystal structure:
Li.sub.aM1.sub.xM2.sub.wPS.sub.yM3.sub.z  Formula 1
wherein M1 is at least one element of Group 2 or Group 11 of the periodic table, M2 is at least one metal element other than Li of Group 1 of the periodic table, M3 is at least one element of Group 17 of the periodic table, and wherein 4≤a≤8, 0<x<0.5, 0≤w<0.5, 3≤y≤7, and 0≤z≤2.

Silicon-carbon composite materials and related processes are disclosed that overcome the challenges for providing amorphous nano-sized silicon entrained within porous carbon. Compared to other, inferior materials and processes described in the prior art, the materials and processes disclosed herein find superior utility in various applications, including energy storage devices such as lithium ion batteries.

A component for a lithium battery including a first layer including a lithium garnet having a porosity of 0 percent to less than 25 percent, based on a total volume of the first layer; and a second layer on the first layer and having a porosity of 25 percent to 80 percent, based on a total volume of the second layer, wherein the second layer is on the first layer and the second layer has a composition that is different from a composition of the first layer.

The magnet is a ferrite sintered magnet containing a ferrite phase having a magnetoplumbite-type crystal structure. The ferrite sintered magnet contains at least Ca, a metal element A, a metal element R, Bi, Fe, and a metal element M. The metal element A is at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Sr, Ba, and Pb, the metal element R is at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of rare-earth elements including Y and essentially includes La, the metal element M is at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Co, Ni, Zn, Al, Cu, and Cr, and essentially includes Co, and when an atonic ratio of the metal elements is expressed by Formula (1), c, a, r, b, f, and m in Formula (1) satisfy the following Expressions (2) to (8).