Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a nanotube-nanohorn complex having a high aspect ratio, also having high dispersibility, having controlled diameter, and having high durability at a low cost. According to the present invention, a carbon target containing a catalyst is evaporated with a laser ablation method to synthesize a structure including both of a carbon nanohorn aggregate and a carbon nanotube.

Abstract: It is an object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a negative electrode active material having excellent rate characteristics and cycle characteristics. One embodiment according to the present invention is a negative electrode active material comprising a carbon-containing composite, wherein, in the carbon-containing composite, an active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium, conductive nanofibers and conductive carbon particles are coated with a carbon material and are integrated.

Abstract: There is provided a lithium-iron-manganese-based composite oxide capable of providing a lithium-ion secondary battery which has a high capacity retention rate in charge/discharge cycles and in which the generation of a gas caused by charge/discharge cycles is reduced. A lithium-iron-manganese-based composite oxide having a layered rock-salt structure, wherein at least a part of the surface of a lithium-iron-manganese-based composite oxide represented by the following formula (1) is coated with an inorganic material: LixM1(y-p)MnpM2(z-p)FeqO(2-?) (1) (wherein 1.05?x?1.32, 0.33?y?0.63, 0.06?z?0.50, 0<p?0.63, 0.06?q?0.50, 0???0.80, y?p, and z?q; M1 is at least one element selected from Ti and Zr; and M2 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Co, Ni and Mn).

Abstract: A substance-encapsulating carbon nanohorn aggregate which has improved chemical stability by isolating the encapsulated substance from outside and which is useful as a targeting material which can be led from the outside of the body or as a contrast medium by holding the encapsulated substance in an aggregated form, and a process for producing the same are provided. The substance-encapsulating carbon nanohorn aggregate is characterized in that the encapsulated substance is aggregated in a central part of the carbon nanohorn aggregate or a neighborhood thereof with being isolated from outside. The process includes aggregating a substance to be encapsulated in a central part or a neighborhood thereof by a heat treatment.

Abstract: A negative electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery, including a negative electrode active material layer containing a negative electrode active material including silicon (Si) as a constituent element, in which a coating including iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and oxygen (O) as constituent elements is formed on a surface of the negative electrode active material layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an anode material for a lithium-ion battery, the anode material being excellent in the low resistance and the rate characteristics, and meeting the fast charge/discharge characteristics and the relaxation of the characteristics deterioration due to the volume expansion simultaneously in high levels. In the present invention, there is produced a carbonous anode material comprising a composite (7) of a low-crystalline carbon (6), a fibrous carbon (2) having a smaller diameter than the particle diameter of the low-crystalline carbon (6), and a carbon nanohorn (3), by dispersing a low-crystalline carbon precursor (1), the fibrous carbon (2), and the carbon nanohorn (3) in a disperse medium (4) to form a carrier (5) having the carbon nanohorn (3) supported on the precursor (1) and the fibrous carbon (2), separating the carrier (5) from the disperse medium (4), and thereafter subjecting the resultant to a heat treatment to convert the precursor (1) to the low-crystalline carbon (6).

Abstract: It is an object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a negative electrode active material having excellent rate characteristics and cycle characteristics. One embodiment according to the present invention is a negative electrode active material comprising a carbon-containing composite, wherein, in the carbon-containing composite, an active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium, conductive nanofibers and conductive carbon particles are coated with a carbon material and are integrated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a lithium manganese composite oxide having a metal-containing compound film and a carbon coating, in which at least a part of a surface of the lithium manganese composite oxide represented by Formula (1) is coated with the metal-containing compound film, and at least a part of the surface thereof is further coated with the carbon coating. The present invention can provide a positive electrode material capable of improving the discharge characteristics and the capacity retention rate after cycles of lithium ion secondary batteries. Li1+x(FeyNizMn1-y-z)1-xO2??(1), where 0<x<?, 0?y, 0?z<0.5, and y+z<1.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide a negative electrode carbon material capable of providing a lithium secondary battery improved in the capacity characteristic, and a negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery and a lithium secondary battery using the negative electrode carbon material. The negative electrode carbon material for a lithium secondary battery according to the present invention comprises an oxidized amorphous carbon material comprising oxidized graphene layers. The oxidized amorphous carbon material can be obtained by subjecting an amorphous carbon to an oxidation treatment so that graphene layers of carbon crystallites contained in the amorphous carbon are oxidized.

Abstract: There is provided a negative electrode carbon material for a lithium secondary battery, including a graphite-based material in which holes are formed in a graphene layer plane.

Abstract: There is provided a negative electrode material for lithium ion secondary batteries having a structure in which in charged and discharged states, a LixSi compound (2) exists in the inside of a Li oxide (1) and the LixSi compound is dispersed in the inside of the Li oxide. The negative electrode material, in which volume change resulting from charge/discharge is suppressed, has excellent performance as a negative electrode material for lithium ion secondary batteries.

Abstract: It is an object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a negative electrode active material having excellent rate characteristics and cycle characteristics. One embodiment according to the present invention is a negative electrode active material comprising a carbon-containing composite, wherein, in the carbon-containing composite, an active material capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium, conductive nanofibers and conductive carbon particles are coated with a carbon material and are integrated.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a negative electrode material for secondary batteries, comprising graphite; wherein the graphite comprises hexagonal crystal graphite and rhombohedral crystal graphite, and has a low-crystalline carbon coating on a surface thereof; and the graphite has exothermic peaks in the range of 600° C. or lower and in the range of 690° C. or higher in DTA measurement, or the graphite has a full width at half maximum of a (101) peak of the hexagonal crystal graphite of 0.2575° or less in XRD measurement, or the graphite has an absolute value of the difference between the lattice strain obtained from (101) plane spacing of the hexagonal crystal graphite and the lattice strain obtained from (100) plane spacing of the hexagonal crystal graphite of 7.1×10?4 or less in XRD measurement.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a nanotube-nanohorn complex having a high aspect ratio, also having high dispersibility, having controlled diameter, and having high durability at a low cost. According to the present invention, a carbon target containing a catalyst is evaporated with a laser ablation method to synthesize a structure including both of a carbon nanohorn aggregate and a carbon nanotube.

Abstract: A nanocarbon aggregate including a graphite aggregate including a graphene sheet having a petal shape and a nanohorn. The petal-shaped graphite aggregate achieves a reduction in the particulate size and a higher dispersibility by allowing the edge of the petal shape to locally absorb a metal, a metal complex and a metal oxide. The nanocarbon aggregate is used for a catalyst support.

Abstract: A carbon nanohorn (CNH) is oxidized to make an opening in the side of the CNH. A substance to be included, e.g., a metal, is introduced through the opening. The inclusion substance is moved to a tip part of the carbon nanohorn through heat treatment in vacuum or an inert gas. The CNH is further heat treated in an atmosphere containing oxygen in a low concentration to remove the carbon layer in the tip through catalysis of the inclusion substance. This exposes the inclusion substance. If the inclusion substance is a metal which is not moved to a tip part by the heat treatment in vacuum or an inert gas, the carbon part surrounding the fine catalyst particle is specifically burned by a heat treatment in an low oxygen concentration atmosphere, while utilizing the catalysis. Thus, the fine catalyst particle is fixed to the tip part of the CNH.

Abstract: The present invention provides: a carbon nanohorn composite including a carbon nanohorn, a substance encapsulated in the carbon nanohorn, and a polyamine adsorbed by chemical reaction firmly to a surface functional group present on the opening part on the surface of the carbon nanohorn, wherein the release amount and release rate of the encapsulated substance can be controlled using the difference in size, substituent or three-dimensional structure of the polyamine, which is used as a plug; a method of controlling the release of the encapsulated substance; and a process for producing the carbon nanohorn composite. The release amount and release rate of the substance encapsulated in the carbon nanohorn composite is controlled by selecting a polyamine molecule, which plugs the opening part formed in the carbon nanohorn by oxidation, by its size, substituent or three-dimensional structure.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a nanotube-nanohorn complex having an aspect ratio higher than that of a conventional one, also having high dispersibility, and being capable of growing carbon nanotubes with controlled diameter. A nanotube-nanohorn complex according to the present invention comprises carbon nanohorn and catalyst fine particles supported within the carbon nanohorn. The carbon nanohorn comprise an aperture formed therein. Each of the catalyst fine particles is fitted and fixed in the aperture in a state in which part of the catalyst fine particle is exposed to the exterior of the carbon nanohorn. Carbon nanotubes are grown from the catalyst fine particles.

Abstract: A substance-encapsulating carbon nanohorn aggregate which has improved chemical stability by isolating the encapsulated substance from outside and which is useful as a targeting material which can be led from the outside of the body or as a contrast medium by holding the encapsulated substance in an aggregated form, and a process for producing the same are provided. The substance-encapsulating carbon nanohorn aggregate is characterized in that the encapsulated substance is aggregated in a central part of the carbon nanohorn aggregate or a neighborhood thereof with being isolated from outside. The process includes aggregating a substance to be encapsulated in a central part or a neighborhood thereof by a heat treatment.

Abstract: A carbon nanohorn (CNH) is oxidized to make an opening in the side of the CNH. A substance to be included, e.g., a metal, is introduced through the opening. The inclusion substance is moved to a tip part of the carbon nanohorn through heat treatment in vacuum or an inert gas. The CNH is further heat treated in an atmosphere containing oxygen in a low concentration to remove the carbon layer in the tip through catalysis of the inclusion substance. This exposes the inclusion substance. If the inclusion substance is a metal which is not moved to a tip part by the heat treatment in vacuum or an inert gas, the carbon part surrounding the fine catalyst particle is specifically burned by a heat treatment in an low oxygen concentration atmosphere, while utilizing the catalysis. Thus, the fine catalyst particle is fixed to the tip part of the CNH.