Provided is alumina material comprising alumina and zirconium, wherein in a radial distribution function obtained by Fourier-transforming an extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectrum of a K absorption edge of the zirconium in the alumina material, the value of I.sub.B/I.sub.A is 0.5 or less where I.sub.A is a maximum intensity among the intensities of peaks present at 0.1 nm to 0.2 nm, and I.sub.B is a maximum intensity among the intensities of peaks present at 0.28 nm to 0.35 nm.

Silicon particles with a reduced and/or delayed propensity to generate hydrogen gas by reaction with water in aqueous inks for preparing lithium ion battery anodes are prepared by milling silicon, preferably in an oxidative atmosphere, followed by heat treating at an elevated temperature in vacuum or an inert atmosphere.

This invention in one aspect relates to a method of synthesizing a self-assembled mixed-dimensional heterostructure including 2D metallic borophene and 1D semiconducting armchair-oriented graphene nanoribbons (aGNRs). The method includes depositing boron on a substrate to grow borophene thereon at a substrate temperature in an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber; sequentially depositing 4,4″-dibromo-p-terphenyl on the borophene grown substrate at room temperature in the UHV chamber to form a composite structure; and controlling multi-step on-surface coupling reactions of the composite structure to self-assemble a borophene/graphene nanoribbon mixed-dimensional heterostructure. The borophene/aGNR lateral heterointerfaces are structurally and electronically abrupt, thus demonstrating atomically well-defined metal-semiconductor heterojunctions.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a vanadium-carbon phosphate composite material, a vanadium-carbon phosphate composite material obtained according to the process, and to the uses of the composite material, especially as a precursor for the synthesis of electrochemically-active materials, electrode or active anode material.

A hydrotalcite is represented by formula (1):
(M.sup.2+).sub.1-X(M.sup.3+).sub.X(OH).sub.2(A.sup.n−).sub.X/n.Math.mH.sub.2O  (1), wherein M.sup.2+ indicates a divalent metal, M.sup.3+ indicates a trivalent metal, A.sup.n− indicates an n-valent anion, n indicates an integer of 1 to 6, 0.17≤x≤0.36, and 0≤m≤10. The hydrotalcite has (A) a lattice strain in the <003> direction is 3×10.sup.−3 or less as measured using an X-ray diffraction method; (B) primary particles with an average width between 5 nm and 200 nm inclusive per a SEM method; and (C) a degree of monodispersity of 50% or greater (degree of monodispersity (%)=(average width of primary particles as measured using the SEM method/average width of secondary particles as measured using a dynamic light scattering method)×100). A resin containing the hydrotalcite, a suspension containing the hydrotalcite and a method for producing the hydrotalcite are disclosed.

A positive electrode active material to be used in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery and containing a lithium transition metal compound which contains Ni in a proportion constituting 80-94 mol %, inclusive, relative to the total mole number of the metal elements other than Li, and also contains Nb in a proportion constituting 0.1-0.6 mol %, inclusive, relative thereto, the positive electrode active material being characterized in that the Nb amount n1 in a first sample solution obtained by adding 0.2 g of the lithium transition metal compound to a hydrochloric acid aqueous solution comprising 5 mL of pure water/5 mL of 35% hydrochloric acid, and the Nb amount n2 in a second sample solution obtained by immersing a filter used to filter the first sample solution in a fluonitric acid comprising 5 mL of 46% hydrofluoric acid/5 mL of 63% nitric acid satisfy the condition of 50%≤n1/(n1+n2)<75% when converted to molar quantities.

An aluminum-rich molecular sieve material of MFS framework type, designated SSZ-123, is provided. SSZ-123 can be synthesized using 1-ethyl-1-[5-(triethylammonio)pentyl]piperidinium cations as a structure directing agent. SSZ-123 may be used in organic compound conversion and/or sorptive processes.

Provided is a novel solid electrolyte material of high density and high ionic conductivity, and an all-solid-state lithium ion secondary battery that utilizes the solid electrolyte material. The solid electrolyte material has a chemical composition represented by Li.sub.7-3xGa.sub.xLa.sub.3Zr.sub.2O.sub.12 (0.08≤x<0.5), has a relative density of 99% or higher, belongs to space group I-43d, in the cubic system, and has a garnet-type structure. The lithium ion conductivity of the solid electrolyte material is 2.0×10.sup.−3 S/cm or higher. The solid electrolyte material has a lattice constant a such that 1.29 nm≤a≤1.30 nm, and lithium ions occupy the 12a site, the 12b site and two types of 48e site, and gallium occupies the 12a site and the 12b site, in the crystal structure. The all-solid-state lithium ion secondary battery has a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a solid electrolyte. The solid electrolyte is made up of the solid electrolyte material of the present invention.

Provided is a molybdenum sulfide that is ribbon-shaped and particularly suitable for a hydrogen generation catalyst. Disclosed are a ribbon-shaped molybdenum sulfide, in which 50 particles as measured by observation with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) have a shape of, on average, 500 to 10000 nm in length, 10 to 1000 nm in width, and 3 to 200 nm in thickness; a method for producing the ribbon-shaped molybdenum sulfide, including: (1) heating a molybdenum oxide at a temperature of 200 to 1000° C. in the presence of a sulfur source; or (2) heating a molybdenum oxide at a temperature of 100 to 800° C. in the absence of a sulfur source, and then heating the molybdenum oxide at a temperature of 200 to 1000° C. in the presence of a sulfur source; and a hydrogen generation catalyst including the ribbon-shaped molybdenum sulfide.

A method for manufacturing a zinc ferrite film includes forming a zinc ferrite film on a base material by having a reaction liquid, which contains metal ions including only bivalent iron ions and bivalent zinc ions, contact an oxidation liquid, which contains an oxidant that oxidizes the metal ions, in the presence of a pH adjuster. The pH adjuster includes a carbonate of ammonium and an alkali metal salt of mono-carboxylic acid.