A method of preparing iron oxide nanoparticles using an herbal mixture comprising Capparis spinosa, Cichorium intybus, Solanum nigrum, Cassia occidentalis, Terminalia arjuna, Achillea millefolium, and Tamarix gallica. The method produces crystalline γ-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 nanoparticles which are superparamagnetic. The iron oxide nanoparticles are used in a method of killing or inhibiting the growth of a bacteria and/or fungus, particularly in the form of a biofilm. The nanoparticles are also used in a method of treating colon cancer.

The present invention provides a porous carbon fiber which has an excellent permeation amount and excellent pressure resistance, which is prevented from the occurrence of detachment or cracking at an interface, and which can exhibit excellent properties needed for use as a support for a fluid separation membrane. The present invention is a porous carbon fiber having a bicontinuous porous structure, wherein the average value R.sub.ave of the R value of the outer surface and the R value of the inside is 1.0 or more and 1.8 or less, the absolute value ΔR of the difference between the R value of the outer surface and the R value of the inside is 0.05 or less, and R value is a carbonization progression degree calculated from a Raman spectrum in accordance with the following formula:
R value=(intensity of scattering spectrum at 1360 cm.sup.−1)/(intensity of scattering spectrum at 1600 cm.sup.−1).

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.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe a magnetic substrate including a cured magnetic ink and a cured polymer resin, wherein the cured magnetic ink includes a plurality of functionalized magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and wherein the magnetic substrate is a freestanding magnetic substrate.

A method of preparing iron oxide nanoparticles using an herbal mixture comprising Capparis spinosa, Cichorium intybus, Solanum nigrum, Cassia occidentalis, Terminalia arjuna, Achillea millefolium, and Tamarix gallica. The method produces crystalline γ-Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 nanoparticles which are superparamagnetic. The iron oxide nanoparticles are used in a method of killing or inhibiting the growth of a bacteria and/or fungus, particularly in the form of a biofilm. The nanoparticles are also used in a method of treating colon cancer.

Systems, devices, and techniques for manufacturing a crystalline material (e.g., large crystal material) through the solid state conversion of a polycrystalline material are described. A device may be configured to concurrently heat a volume of ribbon, such as an alumina ribbon, using multiple heat sources. For example, a first heat source may heat a first volume of the ribbon and a second heat source may concurrently heat a second volume, for example, within the first volume, where the ribbon may comprise polycrystalline material. The concurrent heating may drive grain growth in the polycrystalline material in at least the second volume, which may convert the polycrystalline material to crystalline material having one or more grains that are larger than one or more grains of the polycrystalline material. The processed ribbon may include a large crystal material or a single crystal material.

A nickel composite hydroxide containing reduced amounts of sulfate radicals and chlorine as impurities. The nickel composite hydroxide is represented by Ni.sub.1-x-yCo.sub.xAl.sub.y(OH).sub.2+α(0.05≦x≦0.01≦y≦0.2, x+y<0.4, and 0≦α<0.5), and includes spherical secondary particles formed by aggregation of plurality of plate-shaped primary particles, secondary particles have an average particle diameter of 3-20 μm, sulfate radical content of 1.0 mass % or less, chlorine content of 0.5 mass % or less, and carbonate radical content of 1.0-2.5 mass %. The nickel composite hydroxide is obtained by a process including a crystallization step in which crystallization is performed in reaction solution obtained by adding alkali solution to aqueous solution containing mixed aqueous solution containing nickel and cobalt, ammonium ion supplier, and aluminum source. The alkali solution is mixed aqueous solution of alkali metal hydroxide and carbonate, and ratio of carbonate to alkali metal hydroxide in mixed aqueous solution represented by [C0.sub.3.sup.2−]/[OH.sup.−]=0.002 or more but 0.050 or less.

Composites having semiconductor structures embedded in a matrix are described. In an example, a composite includes a matrix material. A plurality of semiconductor structures is embedded in the matrix material. Each semiconductor structure includes an anisotropic nanocrystalline core composed of a first semiconductor material. Each semiconductor structure also includes a nanocrystalline shell composed of a second, different, semiconductor material at least partially surrounding the anisotropic nanocrystalline core. An insulator layer encapsulates each nanocrystalline shell and anisotropic nanocrystalline core pairing.

The present invention provides a process for preparing a precipitated calcium carbonate product. The process comprises the steps of preparing an aqueous suspension of precipitated calcium carbonate seeds by carbonating a suspension of Ca(OH).sub.2 in the presence of 0.005 to 0.030 moles of Sr, in the form of Sr(OH).sub.2, based upon moles of Ca(OH).sub.2 prior to or during carbonation; forming an aqueous suspension of a precipitated calcium carbonate product by carbonating a slurry of Ca(OH).sub.2 in the presence of 0.5 to 5% by dry weight of the precipitated calcium carbonate seeds, wherein the precipitated calcium carbonate seeds have a D50 that is less than the D50 of the precipitated calcium carbonate product and the precipitated calcium carbonate seeds have an aragonitic polymorph content greater than or equal to the precipitated calcium carbonate product.

A negative electrode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery includes a network structure formed by at least some of iron oxide particles being linked to each other.