Secondary batteries using lithium cobalt oxide as positive electrode active materials have a problem of a decrease in battery capacity due to repeated charging/discharging, for example. A positive electrode active material particle which hardly deteriorates is provided. In a first step, a container in which a lithium oxide and a fluoride are set is placed in a heating furnace, and in a second step, the inside of the heating furnace is heated in an atmosphere containing oxygen. The heating temperature of the second step is from 750° C. to 950° C., inclusive. By the manufacturing method, fluorine can be contained in the positive electrode active material particle to increase the wettability of the surface of the positive electrode active material so that the surface of the positive electrode active material is homogenized and planarized. The crystal structure of the thus manufactured positive electrode active material is unlikely to be broken in repeated high-voltage charging/discharging. Thus, secondary batteries using the positive electrode active material having such a feature have greatly improved cycle characteristics.

The disclosed method and related systems and devices relate to producing a pigment from microbial biomass. The pigment may be an engineered black pigment. The method may include a thermal processing step where the microbial biomass is charred. The biomass in the charred and pre-charred state can be washed chemically and/or mechanically. In another step the biomass is ground via a grinding of milling process. The grinding/milling may occur at any various points in the process. In some embodiments the biomass has a particle size between 0.01 and 100 microns.

The invention relates to polyoxometalates represented by the formula (A.sub.n)m.sup.+[(MR′.sub.t).sub.sO.sub.yH.sub.qR.sub.z(X.sub.8W.sub.48+rO.sub.184+4r)].sup.m− or solvates thereof, corresponding supported polyoxometalates, and processes for their preparation, as well as corresponding metal cluster units, optionally in the form of a dispersion in a liquid carrier medium or immobilized on a solid support, and processes for their preparation, as well as their use in conversion of organic substrate.

The present exemplary embodiments relate to a positive electrode active material and a lithium secondary battery including the same. The positive active material for a lithium secondary battery according to an exemplary embodiment includes lithium metal oxide particles including lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese and doping elements, and includes a first domain and a second domain inside the lithium metal oxide particles.

Provided are enhanced MXene materials made from MAX-phase precursors that comprise an excess of metal A. The resultant enhanced MXenes exhibit improved stability over periods of days and months, particularly when stored in aqueous media.

The invention described herein provides a dry graphene powder composition comprising pristine graphene flakes, wherein the pristine graphene flakes are non-covalently functionalised with polymeric amphiphilic molecules and wherein the dry graphene powder composition is capable of forming a stable homogeneous dispersion in aqueous or alcoholic media, in the absence of free dispersants or stabilizers, as well as methods for producing same, and the use thereof in graphene inks, for 2D and 3D printing, for production of flexible circuits, electrodes, electrocatalysts, for fabrication of nanocomposites and for wet-spinning of pristine graphene fibers.

Transition-metal doped Li-rich anti-perovskite cathode compositions are provided herein. The Li-rich anti-perovskite cathode compositions have a chemical formula of Li.sub.(3-δ)M5/.sub.mBA, wherein 0<δ<3m/(m+1) and δ=3m/(m+1) is the maximum value for the transition metals doping, a chemical formula of Li.sub.4-δMs.sub.δ/mPC.sub.4A, wherein 0<δ≦4m/(m+1) and δ=4m/(m+1) is the maximum value for the transition metals doping, or a combination thereof, wherein M is a transition metal, B is a divalent anion, and A is a monovalent anion. Also provided herein, are methods of making the Li-rich anti-perovskite cathode compositions, and uses of the Li-rich anti-perovskite cathode compositions.

A method for providing an image on or in a substrate is provided, and comprises applying to the substrate: (i) ammonium octamolybdate (AOM) in the form of the alpha-isomer, obtainable by thermal decomposition of ammonium molybdate at 215-225° C. for 180 mins, and which has an anhydrous loss on ignition in the range 8.00 to 8.80; or (ii) a composition comprising ammonium octamolybdate as defined in (i), and a binder; followed by irradiation. Also provided are liquid ink compositions comprising AOM as defined above, and a binder.

A composite nanomaterial of ZnO impregnated by, e.g., a green copper phthalocyanine compound (CuPc) can be an efficient solar light photocatalyst for water remediation. The composite may include hollow shell microspheres and hollow nanospheres of CuPc-ZnO. CuPc may function as a templating and/or structure modifying agent, e.g., for forming hollow microspheres and/or nanospheres of ZnO particles. The composite can photocatalyze the degradation of organic pollutants such as crystal violet (CV) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid as well as microbes in water under solar light irradiation. The ZnO-CuPc composite can be stable and recyclable under solar irradiation.

A disaggregation method for NDs (nanodiamonds) comprising: sonicating NDs dispersed in water; and sedimenting non-disaggregated NDs by centrifugation. Optionally, the method includes sonicating the disaggregated NDs with CAN [(NH.sub.4).sub.2Ce(NO.sub.3).sub.6] to produce CAN modified NDs and washing to remove excess CAN. Populations of disaggregated NDs are also disclosed. In some embodiments the populations are provided as an aqueous suspension.