A method for the production of conductive structures, wherein nanofibers are applied with a photocatalytic component onto a substrate, in particular by electrospinning, and wherein a metallic layer is deposited photolytically on the substrate.

A method of making a titanium dioxide nanowire array includes contacting a substrate with a solvent comprising a titanium (III) precursor, an acid, and an oxidant while microwave heating the solvent, thereby forming a hydrogen titanate H2Ti2O5.H2O nanowire array. The hydrogen titanate nanowire array is annealed to form a titanium dioxide nanowire array. The substrate is seeded with titanium dioxide before starting the hydrothermal synthesis of the hydrogen titanate nanowire array. The titanium dioxide nanowire array is loaded with a platinum group metal to form an exhaust gas catalyst. The titanium dioxide nanowire array can be used to catalyze oxidation of combustion exhaust.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a three-dimensional macroporous filament construct having interconnected microporous filaments showing a suitable surface roughness and microporosity. The method includes the steps of: a) preparing a suspension having particles of a predetermined material, a liquid solvent, one or more binders and optionally one or more dispersants, b) depositing the suspension in the form of filaments in a predetermined three-dimensional pattern, preferably in a non-solvent environment, thereby creating a three-dimensional filament-based porous structure, c) inducing phase inversion, whereby said filaments are transformed from a liquid to a solid state, by exposing the filaments during the deposition of the filaments with a non-solvent vapour and to a liquid non-solvent, d) thermally treating the structure of step d) by calcining and sintering the structure. The invention further provides a three-dimensional macroporous filament construct having interconnected microporous filaments showing a specific surface roughness and microporosity. The invention also relates to various uses of the construct, including its use for the manufacture of a biomedical product, such as a synthetic bone implant or bone graft.

The present application discloses and claims a method to make a flexible ceramic fibers (Flexiramics™) and polymer composites. The resulting composite has an improved mechanical strength (tensile) when compared with the Flexiramics™ alone. Several different polymers can be used, both thermosets and thermoplastics. Flexiramics™ has unique physical characteristics and the composite materials can be used for numerous industrial and laboratory applications.

The disclosure related to a method for making a nanowire structure. First, a free-standing carbon nanotube structure is suspended. Second, a metal layer is coated on a surface of the carbon nanotube structure. The metal layer is oxidized to grow metal oxide nanowires.

In one aspect, a fiber delivery assembly is provided including a backing tape and a single-filament fiber coupled to the backing tape. In another aspect, a method of making a fiber delivery assembly is provided, which includes: providing a backing tape; providing a single-filament fiber; and coupling the single-filament fiber to the backing tape.

A method is provided in which a lithium titanate precursor structure is subjected to element selective sputtering to form a lithium titanate structure including a lithium titanate core and a conformal layer on the lithium titanate core, wherein the conformal layer includes titanium oxide. A method of preparing an electrode for a lithium ion battery, wherein the electrode includes lithium titanate structures, is also provided.

A polymetalloxane is described having a constituent unit represented by the following general formula (1):

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, M a, b and m are as defined.

A heat dissipation member dissipates heat generated at a heat source. The heat dissipation member may include a substrate having a porosity ratio of 5 volume % or less; and an inorganic porous layer disposed on a surface of the substrate, wherein the inorganic porous layer may have a porosity ratio ranging from 25 volume % or more to 85 volume % or less and have lower thermal conductivity than the substrate. In this heat dissipation member, 15 mass % or more of constituents of the inorganic porous layer may be alumina.

A method for preparing metal oxide and ceramic oxide nano- and microparticulate materials is described herein. The method comprises irradiating a precursor material with high energy pulsed-light flashes in an oxygen-containing atmosphere. The precursor materials comprise thin films, fibers, or particles of subnano-, nano-, or microscale dimension, which are composed of metal ions dispersed in an amorphous or partially crystalline polymer matrix in a ratio necessary to form target metal oxide or ceramic oxide when reacted with oxygen (i.e., the precursor material does not include any metal oxide phase). The irradiation of the precursor material in an oxygen-containing atmosphere decomposes and removes the polymers and anions from the precursor, and also oxidizes the metal ions within the precursor materials to form metal oxide or ceramic oxide particulates.