A cathode material, containing a crystal with a superlattice structure, is provided. A chemical formula of the crystal is xLi.sub.2MO.sub.3.(1-x)LiNi.sub.aCo.sub.bMn.sub.(1-a-b)O.sub.2, where 0<x≤0.1, 0.8≤a<1, b≤0.1, and M is selected from one or more of Mn, Co, and Ni. A preparation method of the cathode material and a battery or a capacitor containing the cathode material are also provided.

A semiconductor nanoparticle aggregate that is an aggregate of core/shell type semiconductor nanoparticles including a core including In and P and a shell having one or more layers, in which a peak wavelength of an emission spectrum of the semiconductor nanoparticle aggregate is from 515 nm to 535 nm and a full width at half maximum of the emission spectrum is 43 nm or less. For each semiconductor nanoparticle, (1) an average value of a full width at half maximum of an emission spectrum is 15 nm or more, (2) a standard deviation of a peak wavelength of the emission spectrum is 12 nm or less, and (3) a standard deviation of the full width at half maximum of the emission spectrum is 2 nm or more.

An improved process for forming a lithium metal phosphate cathode material is provided. The process comprises reacting a metal source, a phosphate containing acid such as phosphoric acid, and an organic acid in solvent to form a metal phosphate. A lithium source is added to the solvent and a precipitate is allowed to form. The precipitate is dried and calcined thereby forming lithium iron phosphate cathode material wherein the lithium iron phosphate cathode material comprises up to 3 wt % carbon.

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.

Composite carbon particles including a porous carbon material and a silicon component, the composite carbon particle having an average aspect ratio of 1.25 or less, and a ratio (I.sub.Si/I.sub.G) of a peak intensity (I.sub.Si) in the vicinity of 470 cm.sup.−1 to a peak intensity (I.sub.G) in the vicinity of 1580 cm.sup.−1 as measured by Raman spectroscopy of 0.30 or less, wherein the porous carbon material satisfies V.sub.1/V.sub.0>0.80 and V.sub.2/V.sub.0<0.10, when a total pore volume at a maximum value of a relative pressure P/P.sub.0 is defined as V.sub.0 and P.sub.0 is a saturated vapor pressure, a cumulative pore volume at a relative pressure P/P.sub.0=0.1 is defined as V.sub.1, a cumulative pore volume at a relative pressure P/P.sub.0=10.sup.−7 is defined as V.sub.2 in a nitrogen adsorption test, and has a BET specific surface area of 800 m.sup.2/g or more.

To provide a method of forming a positive electrode active material with high productivity. To provide a manufacturing apparatus capable of forming a positive electrode active material with high productivity. Provided is a method of forming a positive electrode active material including lithium, a transition metal, oxygen, and fluorine. An adhesion preventing step is performed during heating of an object. Examples of the adhesion preventing step include stirring by rotating a furnace during the heating, stirring by vibrating a container containing an object during the heating, and crushing performed between the plurality of heating steps. By these manufacturing methods, a positive electrode active material having favorable distribution of an additive at the surface portion can be formed.

A method for making a material of formula Li.sub.xM.sub.1-zD.sub.zPO.sub.4, where M is one or more transition metals, D represents one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ti, Zn, B, Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sc, Y, and rare earth elements, 0.8≤x≤1.2 and 0≤z≤0.2, the method comprising the steps of: a) forming a mixture comprising a source of the one or more transition metals, a source of phosphorus, a source of lithium and a surfactant, and optionally a source of D, wherein (i) a ratio of Li:PO.sub.4:(M+D) relative to the stoichiometry required to form the material is within the range of 1.04-1.10:1.00-1.05:1, or (ii) a ratio of (Li+PO.sub.4):(M+D) relative to the stoichiometry required to form the material is greater than 2.05; b) drying the mixture from step (a) to form particles r a powder; and c) thermally treating the particles or powder from step (b) to form the material.

The present invention relates to composite particles containing silicon and carbon, wherein a domain size region of vacancies of 2 nm or less is 44% by volume or more and 70% by volume or less when volume distribution information of domain sizes obtained by fitting a small-angle X-ray scattering spectrum of the composite particles with a spherical model in a carbon-vacancy binary system is accumulated in ascending order, and a true density calculated by dry density measurement by a constant volume expansion method using helium gas is 1.80 g/cm.sup.3 or more and 2.20 g/cm.sup.3 or less.

A method for embedding sulphur into conductive carbon is provided. Elemental sulphur is dissolved in liquid ammonia to form a sulphur-ammonia solution. Conductive carbon is soaked in the sulphur-ammonia solution to embed the conductive carbon with the dissolved sulphur. The liquid ammonia in the sulphur-ammonia solution can be removed as gaseous ammonia to yield sulphur-embedded conductive carbon. The sulphur-embedded conductive carbon can be used to manufacture sulphur cathodes. Such sulphur cathodes and batteries incorporating such sulphur cathodes are provided.

Compounds that can be used as cathode active materials for lithium ion batteries are described. In some embodiments, the cathode active material includes the compound Li.sub.xNi.sub.aM.sub.bN.sub.cO.sub.2 where M is selected from Mn, Ti, Zr, Ge, Sn, Te and a combination thereof; N is selected from Mg, Be, Ca, Sr, Ba, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and a combination thereof; 0.9<x<1.1; 0.7<a<1; 0<b<0.3; 0<c<0.3; and a+b+c=1. Other cathode active materials, precursors, and methods of manufacture are presented.