Abstract: The first aspect of the invention provides a method of manufacturing an active material capable of selectively synthesizing ?-LiVOPO4. The method of manufacturing an active material in accordance with the first aspect comprises a hydrothermal synthesis step of heating a mixture containing a lithium source, a phosphate source, a vanadium source, and water and having a pH of 7 or less; and a firing step of firing the mixture after being heated under pressure in the hydrothermal synthesis step. The second aspect of the invention provides an active material capable of attaining a sufficient discharge capacity at a high discharge current density, an electrode containing the same, and a lithium-ion secondary battery containing the electrode.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing an active material comprising both ?-LiVOPO4 and ?-LiVOPO4. The method of manufacturing an active material in accordance with the present invention comprises a hydrothermal synthesis step of heating a mixture containing a lithium source, a phosphate source, a vanadium source, and water and having a pH greater 7 but smaller than 12.7; and a firing step of firing the mixture after being heated under pressure in the hydrothermal synthesis step.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing an active material which can form an electrochemical device excellent in discharge capacity. The method of manufacturing an active material in accordance with the present invention comprises a hydrothermal synthesis step of heating a mixture including a lithium compound, a metal compound containing one species selected from the group consisting of Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, and V, a phosphorus compound, and water within a reactor while keeping an internal pressure of the reactor at 0.3 MPa or lower by ventilating the inside of the reactor to the outside, and closing the reactor at a time when the temperature of the mixture reaches 100 to 150° C.; and a firing step of firing the mixture after the hydrothermal synthesis step.

Abstract: A dispersed ingredient having metal-oxygen bonds which is obtained by hydrolyzing a metal alkoxide in an organic solvent in the absence of an acid, a base, and/or a dispersion stabilizer, either with 0.5 to less than 1 mol of water per mol of the metal alkoxide or at ?20° C. or lower with 1.0 to less than 2.0 mol of water per mol of the metal alkoxide. In the organic solvent, the dispersed ingredient is stably dispersed without aggregating. Use of the dispersed ingredient enables a thin metal oxide film and a homogeneous organic/inorganic composite to be produced at a temperature as low as 200° C. or below.

Abstract: An active material capable of forming an electrochemical device excellent in its discharge capacity and rate characteristic is provided. The active material in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention comprises a compound particle containing a compound having a composition represented by the following chemical formula (1), a carbon layer covering the compound particle, and a carbon particle. The active material in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention comprises a carbon particle and a compound particle having an average primary particle size of 0.03 to 1.4 ?m, being carried by the carbon particle, and containing a compound represented by the following chemical formula (1): LiaMXO4??(1) where a satisfies 0.9?a?2, M denotes one species selected from the group consisting of Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, and VO, and X denotes one species selected from the group consisting of P, Si, S, V, and Ti.

Abstract: An active material contains a triclinic LiVOPO4 crystal particle, while the crystal particle has a spherical form and an average particle size of 20 to 200 nm.

Abstract: A microstrip line element is composed of a first electrode layer (10) as a substrate which is more of a metal, a dielectric layer (20) formed by oxidizing, nitriding or oxiynitriding the first electrode layer (10), a conductor layer (30) formed on the dielectric layer (20) and a second electrode layer (40) formed on the conductor layer (30). The conductor layer (30) is composed of at least conductive nanoparticles (32) and a binder resin (31).

Abstract: A dispersed ingredient having metal-oxygen bonds which is obtained by hydrolyzing a metal alkoxide in an organic solvent in the absence of an acid, a base, and/or a dispersion stabilizer, either with 0.5 to less than 1 mol of water per mol of the metal alkoxide or at ?20° C. or lower with 1.0 to less than 2.0 mol of water per mol of the metal alkoxide. In the organic solvent, the dispersed ingredient is stably dispersed without aggregating. Use of the dispersed ingredient enables a thin metal oxide film and a homogeneous organic/inorganic composite to be produced at a temperature as low as 200° C. or below.

Abstract: A microstrip line element is composed of a first electrode layer (10) as a substrate which is more of a metal, a dielectric layer (20) formed by oxidizing, nitriding or oxynitriding the first electrode layer (10), a conductor layer (30) formed on the dielectric layer (20) and a second electrode layer (40) formed on the conductor layer (30). The conductor layer (30) is composed of at least conductive nanoparticles (32) and a binder resin (31).

Abstract: A flexible substrate 10 of the present invention is formed of a stacked body which is constituted of an inorganic glass layer 110 and polymer layers 120A, 120B, wherein the polymer layers 120A, 120B are formed of a polymer layer which contains polyorganosilsesquioxane as a main component thereof. Due to such a constitution, the flexible substrate 10 of the present invention possesses excellent heat resistance in addition to excellent flexibility, excellent impact resistance and excellent gas barrier properties.

Abstract: The invention provides dispersoids having metal-oxygen groups which are suitable for the production of metal oxide thin-films at a low temperature of 200° C. or below and for the production of homogeneous organic-inorganic hybrid materials. The invention also provides metal oxide thin-films and organic-inorganic hybrid materials endowed with various capabilities, particularly organic-inorganic hybrid materials having a high refractive index and high transparency. Use is made of a dispersoid having metal-oxygen bonds which is obtained by mixing a metal compound having at least three hydrolyzable groups with at least 0.5 mole but less than 2 moles of water per mole of the metal compound in an organic solvent, in the absence of an acid, a base and/or a dispersion stabilizer, and at a temperature at or below the temperature at which the metal compound begins to hydrolyze, then raising the temperature to at least the temperature at which hydrolysis begins.

Abstract: A dispersed ingredient having metal-oxygen bonds which is obtained by hydrolyzing a metal alkoxide in an organic solvent in the absence of an acid, a base, and/or a dispersion stabilizer, either with 0.5 to less than 1 mol of water per mol of the metal alkoxide or at −20° C. or lower with 1.0 to less than 2.0 mol of water per mol of the metal alkoxide. In the organic solvent, the dispersed ingredient is stably dispersed without aggregating. Use of the dispersed ingredient enables a thin metal oxide film and a homogeneous organic/inorganic composite to be produced at a temperature as low as 200° C. or below.

Abstract: A silicon-containing compound of solid state including neither a compound capable of dissociating into positive and negative ions nor a liquid electrolyte and a gel electrolyte, and exhibiting a dielectric relaxation phenomenon in the frequency range of 100 Hz to 1 MHz, and preferably a sintered body of silicon-containing compound obtained by sintering at least one of the silicon-containing compounds selected from polysilanes and silicones which are dissolvable to organic solvents.

Abstract: A pair of electrode panels are supported by plural spacer walls made of photo-resist resin to form a cell gap between electrode panels. The cell gap is filled with liquid crystal, preferably, antiferroelectric liquid crystal. The spacer walls are formed on an orientation layer formed on either panel. A thin layer is also formed on the orientation layer together with formation of the spacer walls as a residual layer. The residual layer has to be sufficiently thin not to disturb orientation of the liquid crystal and to attain a sufficiently high display contrast. The thickness of the residual layer is indirectly detected by an X-ray electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), and the residual layer is made sufficiently thin by setting a temperature of a preliminary baking process, which is carried out before formation of the spacer walls, in a proper range.