Abstract: A method for producing ethanol by which ethanol can be synthesized from less fermentable biomass materials such as plant-derived materials and rice straws and industrial waste biomass materials such as wooden building materials and pulp and which can therefore broaden the range of raw materials for the production of ethanol. Specifically, a method for producing ethanol including reacting a raw material gas obtained by a thermochemical gasification reaction of biomass in the presence of a catalyst containing rhodium, at least one transition metal, and at least one element selected from lithium, magnesium and zinc.

Abstract: A method for producing a cathode material for a secondary battery, characterized in that it comprises admixing a compound liberating a phosphate ion in a solution (phosphoric acid H3PO4, phosphorus pentoxide PO5, ammonium dihydrogenphosphate NH4H2PO4 and the like), water and metallic iron, adding lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide or a hydrate thereof to the resultant mixture, and firing the resultant reaction product, to thereby synthesize LiFePO4.

Abstract: A cathode material for a secondary battery containing a cathode active material represented by the general formula LinFePO4 (wherein n represents a number from 0 to 1) as a primary component and molybdenum (Mo), wherein the cathode active material LinFePO4 is composited with the Mo. In a preferred embodiment, the cathode material has conductive carbon deposited on the surface thereof.