Abstract: Provided in the present invention is a redox flow battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separation membrane, wherein a positive electrode electrolyte composed of an aqueous solution containing vanadium ions is supplied into a positive electrode chamber, and a negative electrode electrolyte composed of an aqueous solution containing vanadium ions is supplied into a negative electrode chamber, to carry out charging and discharging of the battery. In the redox flow battery, zirconium or titanium coated with a noble metal or a compound thereof is used as a positive electrode material, and when the positive electrode material is zirconium coated with a noble metal or a compound thereof, the positive electrode electrolyte and the negative electrode electrolyte contain sulfuric acid; and when the positive electrode material is titanium coated with a noble metal or a compound thereof, the positive electrode electrolyte contains nitric acid.

Abstract: Provided in the present invention is a redox flow battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separation membrane, wherein a positive electrode electrolyte composed of an aqueous solution containing vanadium ions is supplied into a positive electrode chamber, and a negative electrode electrolyte composed of an aqueous solution containing vanadium ions is supplied into a negative electrode chamber, to carry out charging and discharging of the battery. In the redox flow battery, zirconium or titanium coated with a noble metal or a compound thereof is used as a positive electrode material, and when the positive electrode material is zirconium coated with a noble metal or a compound thereof, the positive electrode electrolyte and the negative electrode electrolyte contain sulfuric acid; and when the positive electrode material is titanium coated with a noble metal or a compound thereof, the positive electrode electrolyte contains nitric acid.

Abstract: Electrocatalyst layers include an electrocatalyst having high oxygen reduction activity that is useful as an alternative material to platinum catalysts. Uses of the electrocatalyst layers are also disclosed. The electrocatalyst layer includes an electrocatalyst that is formed of a metal oxide obtained by thermally decomposing a metal organic compound. The metal element forming the electrocatalyst is preferably one selected from the group consisting of niobium, titanium, tantalum and zirconium.

Abstract: Catalysts of the present invention are not corroded in acidic electrolytes or at high potential and have excellent durability and high oxygen reducing ability. The catalyst includes a metal oxycarbonitride containing two metals M selected from the group consisting of tin, indium, platinum, tantalum, zirconium, titanium, copper, iron, tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, hafnium, vanadium, cobalt, cerium, aluminum and nickel, and containing zirconium and/or titanium. Also disclosed is a process for producing the catalyst.

Abstract: Catalysts are provided which can catalyze both the oxygen reduction during the discharge of a secondary air battery and the oxygen production in the recharging of the battery and which are stable at a high potential in the recharging. The invention has been accomplished based on the finding that a catalyst including an oxycarbonitride of a specific transition metal selected from, for example, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium and tantalum can catalyze both the oxygen reduction during the discharge of a secondary air battery and the oxygen production in the recharging of the battery and is also stable at a high potential in the recharging.

Abstract: Catalysts of the present invention are not corroded in acidic electrolytes or at high potential and have excellent durability and high oxygen reducing ability. The catalyst includes a metal oxycarbonitride containing two metals M selected from the group consisting of tin, indium, platinum, tantalum, zirconium, titanium, copper, iron, tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, hafnium, vanadium, cobalt, cerium, aluminum and nickel, and containing zirconium and/or titanium. Also disclosed is a process for producing the catalyst.

Abstract: The invention provides catalysts that are not corroded in acidic electrolytes or at high potential and have excellent durability and high oxygen reducing ability. The catalyst includes a metal element M, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen, wherein the catalyst shows peaks at 1340 cm?1 to 1365 cm?1 and at 1580 cm?1 to 1610 cm?1 as analyzed by Raman spectroscopy and the metal element M is one selected from titanium, iron, niobium, zirconium and tantalum. The catalysts of the invention are stable and are not corroded in acidic electrolytes or at high potential, have high oxygen reducing ability and are inexpensive compared to platinum. Fuel cells having the catalysts are therefore relatively inexpensive and have high performance.

Abstract: A process for producing fuel cell catalysts includes a step (I) of heating a carbonitride of a transition metal in an inert gas containing oxygen, and a step (II) of heating the product from the step (I) in an inert gas that does not substantially contain oxygen.

Abstract: Catalysts of the present invention are not corroded in acidic electrolytes or at high potential and have excellent durability and high oxygen reducing ability. The catalyst includes a metal oxycarbonitride containing two metals M selected from the group consisting of tin, indium, platinum, tantalum, zirconium, titanium, copper, iron, tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, hafnium, vanadium, cobalt, cerium, aluminum and nickel, and containing zirconium and/or titanium.

Abstract: The invention has an object of providing catalysts that are not corroded in acidic electrolytes or at high potential, have excellent durability and show high oxygen reducing ability. An aspect of the invention is directed to a process wherein metal carbonitride mixture particles or metal oxycarbonitride mixture particles are produced from an organometallic compound of a Group IV or V transition metal, a metal salt of a Group IV or V transition metal, or a mixture of these compounds using laser light as a light source.

Abstract: [Object] The invention provides catalysts that are not corroded in acidic electrolytes or at high potential and have excellent durability and high oxygen reducing ability. [Solution] A catalyst of the invention includes a metal oxycarbonitride that contains titanium and at least one metal (hereinafter, also referred to as “metal M” or simply “M”) selected from silver, calcium, strontium, yttrium, ruthenium, lanthanum, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium.

Abstract: The present invention provides a catalyst which is not corroded in an acidic electrolyte or at a high potential, is excellent in durability and has high oxygen reduction ability. The catalyst of the present invention is characterized by including a niobium oxycarbonitride. The catalyst of the invention is also characterized by including a niobium oxycarbonitride represented by the composition formula NbCxNyOz, wherein x, y and z represent a ratio of the numbers of atoms and are numbers satisfying the conditions of 0.01?x?2, 0.01?y?2, 0.01?z?3 and x+y+z?5.

Abstract: The present invention provides a catalyst carrier having excellent durability and capable of attaining high catalytic ability without increasing the specific surface area thereof, and a catalyst obtainable by using the catalyst carrier. The catalyst carrier of the present invention comprises a metal oxycarbonitride, preferably the metal contained in the metal oxycarbonitride comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of niobium, tin, indium, platinum, tantalum, zirconium, copper, iron, tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, hafnium, titanium, vanadium, cobalt, manganese, cerium, mercury, plutonium, gold, silver, iridium, palladium, yttrium, ruthenium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, and nickel. Moreover, the catalyst of the present invention comprises the catalyst carrier and a catalyst metal supported on the catalyst carrier.

Abstract: The invention has an object of providing catalysts that are not corroded in acidic electrolytes or at high potential, have excellent durability and show high oxygen reducing ability. An aspect of the invention is directed to a process wherein metal carbonitride mixture particles or metal oxycarbonitride mixture particles are produced from an organometallic compound of a Group IV or V transition metal, a metal salt of a Group IV or V transition metal, or a mixture of these compounds using laser light as a light source.

Abstract: [Problem] To provide a catalyst which has high oxygen reduction activity, also has excellent durability, and is inexpensive and excellent in electric power generation cost as compared with noble metal catalysts such as platinum. [Solution to problem] A catalyst for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, including a graphitized carbon powder and a niobium oxycarbonitride or a titanium oxycarbonitride as an active substance, and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell using the catalyst.

Abstract: The invention has an object of providing catalysts that are not corroded in acidic electrolytes or at high potential, have excellent durability and show high oxygen reducing ability. An aspect of the invention is directed to a process wherein metal carbonitride mixture particles or metal oxycarbonitride mixture particles are produced from an organometallic compound of a Group IV or V transition metal, a metal salt of a Group IV or V transition metal, or a mixture of these compounds using laser light as a light source.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte solution for a secondary battery, the nonaqueous electrolyte solution containing an electrolyte, a solvent, and an additive, in which the additive contains a compound represented by formula (1) below, and the content of the compound is 0.01 to 10 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the total of the solvent. A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery employing the nonaqueous electrolyte solution is also disclosed. wherein R1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a phenyl group, or an acetoxy group, and R2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a phenyl group, or a vinyl group.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte solution for a secondary battery, the nonaqueous electrolyte solution containing an electrolyte, a solvent, and an additive, in which the additive contains a compound represented by formula (1) below, and the content of the compound is 0.05 to 10 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the total of the solvent. Also disclosed is a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery employing the nonaqueous electrolyte solution. (R1R2C?CH—CO—O—)nY??(1) wherein R1 and R2 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, or an amino group, n is 1, 2, or 4, when n is 1, Y is a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group, when n is 2, Y is a divalent organic group, and when n is 4, Y is a tetravalent organic group.

Abstract: Catalysts of the invention are not corroded in acidic electrolytes or at high potential and have excellent durability and high oxygen reducing ability. A catalyst includes a metal oxycarbonitride containing niobium and at least one metal M selected from the group consisting of tin, indium, platinum, tantalum, zirconium, copper, iron, tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, hafnium, titanium, vanadium, cobalt, manganese, cerium, mercury, plutonium, gold, silver, iridium, palladium, yttrium, ruthenium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium and nickel. A process for making the catalyst involves a heat treatment.

Abstract: The invention provides catalysts which are not corroded in acidic electrolytes or at high potential and have excellent durability and high oxygen reducing ability. The catalysts include a niobium-containing oxycarbonitride having I2/(I1+I2) of not less than 0.25 wherein I1 is the maximum X-ray diffraction intensity at diffraction angles 2? of 25.45 to 25.65 degrees and I2 is the maximum X-ray diffraction intensity at diffraction angles 2?=2? of 25.65 to 26.0 degrees according to X-ray powder diffractometry (Cu—K? radiation).