A photocatalytically active particulate material includes a particle core of ZnS, particles of a nanoscale metal selected from Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Cu or an alloy thereof loaded on the particle core, and a layer of Al2O3, SiO2, TiO2 or mixtures thereof on the loaded particle core.

A method of making Cu—Ag.sub.3PO.sub.4 nanoparticles is provided. The method includes forming a mixture of at least one silver salt, at least one phosphate salt, and at least one copper (II) salt. The method further includes dissolving the mixture in water. The method further includes sonicating the mixture. The method further includes precipitating the Cu—Ag.sub.3PO.sub.4 nanoparticles or “nanoparticles”. The copper is present in the nanoparticles in an amount of 2 to 23 weight percent (wt.%) based on the total weight of the Cu—Ag.sub.3PO.sub.4. The nanoparticles of the present disclosure find application in treating cervical cancer, and colorectal cancer. The nanoparticles may also be used in photodegrading environmental pollutants.

Provided are a titanium dioxide aqueous dispersion having high dispersibility and little aggregation or coarse particles, and a method for producing the same. The titanium dioxide aqueous dispersion contains titanium dioxide particles having a hydrophobic compound such as a higher fatty acid or a salt thereof on the surface, an aqueous dispersion medium, a nonionic surfactant having an HLB value of 10 or higher, and a basic compound such as an alkanolamine, and the pH is in the 8.5-13 range. The method for producing a titanium dioxide aqueous dispersion has a step for mixing the titanium dioxide particles having a hydrophobic compound on the surface, the aqueous dispersion medium, the nonionic surfactant having an HLB value of 10 or higher, and the basic compound to bring the pH of the aqueous dispersion into the 8.5-13 range.

Methods of synthesizing Bi.sub.2S.sub.3—CdS particles in the form of spheres as well as properties of these Bi.sub.2S.sub.3—CdS particles are described. Methods of photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants employing these Bi.sub.2S.sub.3—CdS particles and methods of preventing or reducing microbial growth on a surface by applying these Bi.sub.2S.sub.3—CdS particles in the form of a solution or an antimicrobial product onto the surface are also specified.

Surface-modified zinc oxide particles which have a silane coupling agent having an alkoxy group on surfaces thereof, in which d50 when measured with a laser diffraction/scattering type particle size distribution-measuring instrument by the following measurement method is 4 μm or less. (Measurement method) 10 g of the surface-modified zinc oxide particles, 88 g of cyclopentasiloxane, and 2 g of polyglyceryl-3 polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone are mixed to obtain a liquid mixture, a dispersion treatment is performed on the obtained liquid mixture at 9,500 rpm for 5 minutes using a homogenizer to obtain a liquid dispersion, the liquid dispersion is diluted with cyclopentasiloxane so that a content of the surface-modified zinc oxide particles in the obtained liquid dispersion is 0.01% by mass to produce a measurement solution, and d50 is measured with the laser diffraction/scattering type particle size distribution-measuring instrument using the obtained measurement solution.

Phosphors include a CaAlSiN.sub.3 family crystal phase, wherein the CaAlSiN.sub.3 family crystal phase comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb.

A process for gas-phase synthesis of titanium dioxide aerosol gels with controlled monomer size and crystalline phase using a diffusion flame aerosol reactor operated in a buoyancy-opposed configuration is disclosed. The process includes introducing a precursor stream into a diffusion flame aerosol reactor, introducing a fuel stream into the reactor, combusting the precursor stream and the fuel stream in a flame to form at least one nanoparticle, and operating the reactor in a down-fired buoyancy-opposed configuration to produce the aerosol gel.

A porous membrane comprising stacked layers of nanosheets, each nanosheet comprising one to three atomic layers of a 2D material comprising or consisting of one or more transition metal dichalcogenides is provided. The nanosheets have pores and the membrane comprises a network of water permeation pathways including through-pathways formed by the pores, horizontal pathways formed by gaps between the layers, and vertical pathways formed by gaps between adjacent nanosheets and stacking defects between the layers. Also provided is a method for making the membrane.

An apparatus for measuring the thickness of graphene oxide coatings deposited on a support substrate are described. The apparatus includes a light source and a photodetector which can be placed directly into a coating line to provide continuous feedback on the thickness of a fabricated graphene oxide coating, enabling fabrication of controlled thickness coatings and real-time quality monitoring.

Provided is a dispersion liquid for sealing a light-emitting element containing metal oxide particles having a refractive index of 1.7 or higher and a surface-modifying material at least partially attached to the metal oxide particles, in which a particle diameter D50 of the metal oxide particles when a cumulative percentage of a scattering intensity distribution obtained by a dynamic light scattering method is 50% is 30 nm or more and 100 nm or less, and a content of the surface-modifying material not attached to the metal oxide particles is 60% by mass or less with respect to a total content of the metal oxide particles and the surface-modifying material.