Abstract: A solar battery element has a structure equipped with: photoelectric converting semiconductor particles formed by a particulate base substance, semiconductor layers of a first conductive type formed by a material different from that of the particulate base substance that cover at least portions of the particulate base substance, and semiconductor layers of a second conductive type that cover portions of the semiconductor layers of the first conductive type so as to form pn junctions therewith; a first electrode that contacts the semiconductor layers of the first conductive type; a second electrode that contacts the semiconductor layers of the second conductive type; and an insulating binder for immobilizing the photoelectric converting semiconductor particles between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: The producing unit for continuously producing metal microparticles formed of a multicomponent alloy accompanied by the generation of a byproduct gas through an early reaction of the formation of the metal particles comprises a first mixing unit for continuously supplying and mixing a plurality of solutions for conducting the early reaction, a second mixing unit for continuously supplying another solution to the reaction liquid containing the metal microparticles formed in the early reaction and for mixing the two solutions, to introduce dissimilar metal atoms into the crystal lattices of the metal microparticles, and a gas-liquid separation unit that is installed in a midway of the pipe which is made so as to have enough length to finish the early reaction, and which continuously passes the reaction liquid to the second mixing unit from the first mixing unit, and that continuously removes the byproduct gas generated with the proceeding of the early reaction.

Abstract: A method for producing an inorganic nanoparticle dispersion liquid, including: substituting a first dispersion medium serving to disperse inorganic nanoparticles in an inorganic nanoparticle dispersion liquid by a second dispersion medium with a third dispersion medium intervening between the first dispersion medium and the second dispersion medium, wherein an absolute value of the difference in solubility parameter values (SP values) between the third dispersion medium and the second dispersion medium is smaller than 3.

Abstract: The solution I is spouted from a first nozzle into a mixing chamber as a high-pressure jet stream of not less than 1 MPa and as a turbulent flow having a Reynolds number of not less than 10000 during the flow into the mixing chamber, and the solution II having a lower pressure than the solution I is spouted from a second nozzle into the mixing chamber as an orthogonal flow which intersects the solution I almost at right angles. The two solutions are mixed together and caused to react with each other, with the result that a mixed reaction solution Z containing alloy particles Z is formed.

Abstract: The producing unit for continuously producing metal microparticles formed of a multicomponent alloy accompanied by the generation of a byproduct gas through an early reaction of the formation of the metal particles comprises a first mixing unit for continuously supplying and mixing a plurality of solutions for conducting the early reaction, a second mixing unit for continuously supplying another solution to the reaction liquid containing the metal microparticles formed in the early reaction and for mixing the two solutions, to introduce dissimilar metal atoms into the crystal lattices of the metal microparticles, and a gas-liquid separation unit that is installed in a midway of the pipe which is made so as to have enough length to finish the early reaction, and which continuously passes the reaction liquid to the second mixing unit from the first mixing unit, and that continuously removes the byproduct gas generated with the proceeding of the early reaction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reaction method for a reaction system generating gas by a reaction, comprising the steps of: providing a sealed mixing section for mixing a plurality of liquids to start a reaction and a degassing section having a gas-liquid interface for removing, from a reaction liquid, gas bubbles generated from a mixed reaction liquid, separately; and feeding the reaction liquid mixed in the mixing section to the degassing section, without being interfered by gas bubbles even in a reaction system where gas is generated by a reaction, so that it is possible to stabilize a reaction at the start of the reaction and in the progress of the reaction and stably feed liquid to a subsequent process.

Abstract: In a method of producing magnetic particles which includes the steps of preparing alloy particles capable of forming a CuAu or Cu3Au hard magnetic ordered alloy phase and of forming magnetic particles for forming CuAu or Cu3Au magnetic particles, a plurality of solutions L1 and L2 for preparing the alloy particles are passed in a thin-plate laminar flow and diffused in the direction perpendicular to the flow direction at the contact interface of the solutions L1 and L2 in a mixing channel by using a microreactor, whereby a uniform mixing reaction is conducted in a short time.

Abstract: The producing unit for continuously producing metal microparticles formed of a multicomponent alloy accompanied by the generation of a byproduct gas through an early reaction of the formation of the metal particles comprises a first mixing unit for continuously supplying and mixing a plurality of solutions for conducting the early reaction, a second mixing unit for continuously supplying another solution to the reaction liquid containing the metal microparticles formed in the early reaction and for mixing the two solutions, to introduce dissimilar metal atoms into the crystal lattices of the metal microparticles, and a gas-liquid separation unit that is installed in a midway of the pipe which is made so as to have enough length to finish the early reaction, and which continuously passes the reaction liquid to the second mixing unit from the first mixing unit, and that continuously removes the byproduct gas generated with the proceeding of the early reaction.

Abstract: A nanostructured material regularly arrayed over a large area comprising regularly arrayed domain structures formed on a substrate and having therein regularly arrayed pores with a size of 2 to 200 nm and nanoparticles incorporated into the pores.

Abstract: Ferromagnetic nanoparticles which are produced by reducing, in the presence of a polymer, two or more metals having different reduction potentials twice or more, using two or more reducing agents having different reduction potentials, a material coated with a dispersion of ferromagnetic nanoparticles in which the ferromagnetic nanoparticles are dispersed, and a magnetic recording medium which has a magnetic layer consisting of the material. The ferromagnetic nanoparticles having a holding power Hc of 95.5 kA/m or more, the material coated with the dispersion of ferromagnetic nanoparticles having excellent industrial coatability, and the magnetic recording medium using the dispersion are provided.

Abstract: When a reaction liquid is passed through a gas-liquid separation pipe having a larger volume per unit length than the volume per unit length of a pipe, a headspace part into which gas can be released is formed above the gas-liquid separation pipe, and the byproduct gas generated by the reaction changes into bubbles, moves upward in the reaction liquid, and is continuously released from a gas-liquid interface into the headspace part. While the gas is removed in the gas-liquid separation pipe, the pressure of the headspace part is controlled so as to be constant by a pressure adjustment device.

Abstract: Disclosed are alloy nano-particles having a fluctuation coefficient of particle size of 20% or less and a fluctuation coefficient of composition of 20% or less. The alloy nano-particles have a low transformation point and hardly aggregate and which can form a flat magnetic film having high coercive force.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing a magnetic particle including forming a layer containing an alloy particle that can form CuAu type or Cu3Au type hard magnetic order alloy phase on a support, oxidizing the layer, and annealing the layer in non-oxidizing atmosphere. The invention also relates to a method of producing a magnetic particle including producing an alloy particle that can form hard magnetic order alloy phase, oxidizing the alloy particle, and annealing the particle in non-oxidizing atmosphere, and a magnetic particle produced by the foregoing production method. Further, the invention relates to a magnetic recording medium comprising a magnetic layer containing a magnetic particle and a method of producing a magnetic recording medium including forming a layer containing an alloy that can form the foregoing hard magnetic order alloy phase, oxidizing the layer, and annealing the layer in non-oxidizing atmosphere.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium including a support having thereon a magnetic layer and a non-magnetic layer in this order, the magnetic layer being formed by applying and drying a magnetic nanoparticle dispersion liquid in which magnetic nanoparticles having a number average particle diameter of 20 nm or less are dispersed, applying the non-magnetic layer onto the magnetic layer, fixing the magnetic nanoparticles, and carrying out annealing for ferromagnetization, and the non-magnetic layer containing a gelatinous composition formed by gelating at least one selected from hydrolysates of the silane compound represented by (R10)m—Si(X)4-m and partial condensates thereof, wherein R10 represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group; X represents a hydroxy group or hydrolyzable group; and m represents an integer from 1 to 3.

Abstract: A nano-structured material comprising a depression/projection-patterned substrate and a sol-gel film having at least one group selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, a phenyl group, an epoxy group and an amino group in the depressions of the patterned substrate, wherein polystyrene particles having a particle size of from 10 to 200 nm, or holes having a hole size of from 10 to 200 nm that may be filled with nanoparticles are regularly aligned in the depressions of the patterned substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing a magnetic particle including forming a layer containing an alloy particle that can form a CuAu-type or Cu3Au-type hard magnetic ordered alloy phase on a support, oxidizing the layer, and annealing the layer in a non-oxidizing atmosphere. The invention also relates to a method of producing a magnetic particle including producing an alloy particle that can form a hard magnetic ordered alloy phase, oxidizing the alloy particle, and annealing the particle in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, and a magnetic particle produced by the foregoing production method. Further, the invention relates to a magnetic recording medium comprising a magnetic layer containing a magnetic particle and a method of producing a magnetic recording medium including forming a layer containing an alloy that can form the foregoing hard magnetic ordered alloy phase, oxidizing the layer, and annealing the layer in a non-oxidizing atmosphere.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium including: at least one soft magnetic layer and at least one hard magnetic layer on at least one surface of a non-magnetic support, wherein the soft magnetic layer contains magnetic nanoparticles having longitudinal coercive force of 1.6 kA/m to 16 kA/m at 25° C.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing magnetic particles, the method comprising synthesizing iron particles in a liquid phase, nitriding the iron particles, adjusting the average particle diameter to 5 to 25 nm, and making the iron particles substantially spherical. Also provided are magnetic particles and magnetic recording media.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic recording medium comprising a support and a magnetic layer comprising a CuAu type or Cu3Au type magnetically hard ordered alloy phase, wherein a center line average roughness of a magnetic layer surface is 0.1 to 5 nm at a cut-off value of 0.25 mm, and a magnetic recording medium comprising a support and a magnetic layer containing, in a nonmagnetic metal oxide matrix, metal nanoparticles having a CuAu type or Cu3Au type magnetically hard ordered alloy phase.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a magnetic recording medium comprising a magnetic layer on at least one side of a nonmagnetic substrate, the magnetic layer containing magnetic particles of a CuAu type or Cu3Au type ferromagnetic ordered phase, wherein a conductive layer is provided on at least one side of the nonmagnetic substrate.