Situation in research on structure of carbon cathode materials was reviewed, especially the progress in structures of graphite material, charmaterial and nano-material was summarized.

A basic composition of SiO₂-MgO-Al₂O₃-K₂O-CaO-P₂O₅-F glass system was selected,
and different contents of ZnO were added. The melting results show that the addition of ZnO can reduce the melting temperature of the glass
from 1450℃ to 1300℃. Thus, the transparent as-cast glasses of the machinable bioactive glass ceramic can be obtained at the lower temperature.
The main phases of the glass ceramic are mainly mica phase and apatite phase after crystallization. Microstructure of the glass ceramic is petaloid-like.
The fracture of the glass ceramic is transgranular and some crystals are drawn and this feature makes the glass ceramic show high strength. The glass ceramic
also has good machinability due to the existence of mica phase.

The nucleation and crystallization behavior of Li₂O-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ glasses with varied amounts of Fluorine content were investigated by the differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and
the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that with the increase of the fluorine concentration, the crystallization peak temperature
(T_p) decreases, the crystallization activation energy (E) decreases, the Avrami exponent (n) increases. The onset of the
precipitation of Li_xAl_xSi_1-xO₂ crystal and its transformation to β-spodumene all shift to lower temperature and the grain size increases with the fluorine added. The values
of the Avrami exponent (n) and the crystallization activation energy (E) agree well with the scanning electron microscopy observation of
equivalent axis grain crystal. The results suggest that the fluorine promotes the initial crystallization and ion diffusion in the glass system.

Porous glass ceramics with CaTi₄(PO₄)₆ as the main crystalline phase could be produced by heat-treating the 5Na₂O-20TiO₂-32P₂O₅-43CaO glass system at 690℃ and 735℃ separatively and
then by acid-leaching the crystallization product Ca₃(PO₄)₂. In this paper, a method of enlarging the size of pores was introduced. A high temperature heat-treatment (880℃), that called post-crystallization, could be inserted
into the processes between crystallization and acid-leaching. In the post-crystallization, there was a solid reaction where the CaTi₄(PO₄)₆ and 5Ca₃(PO₄)₂ reacted and then products TiO₂ and Ca₂P₂O₇ produced.
The later phase could be easily leached from the glass-ceramic. The pores became larger, since more Ca and P were leached. In the present study, the change in free enthalpy of the solid reaction was estimated as --333Kcal/mol by applying the approximate
first thermodynamic equation. The phase analysis, XRD before and after post-crystallization, confirmed that this solid reaction
could happen spontaneously. The dynamic parameters for crystallization activation energy and reaction index were calculated as 584.7kJ/mol and 3.2 respectively by applying Johnson-Arirami-Mehl equation while implied that the sample was crystallized
in bulk. This calculation was also confirmed by the observation under SEM, that the pore size enlarged in the whole area of the sample after post-crystallization.

The author reveiws the works on study of the structure and nature of glass, done by the author and his colleagues,
in the past 20 years. Some important conclusions indicated that glass as the non-crystalline solid, its structure may contain two types of agglomerated
atoms or atomic groups, i.e., disorder groups and ordered orientated (one dimensionally prefered) groups. In addition, a little quantity (negligible)
of nano-crystals may appear as a particular role in real glass and this characteristic may distinguish it from ideal glass. A table is shown for
interpretating more briefly. A schematic diagram of fused silica glass structure is designed by the author and provided here, so, it may express the stucture and nature of
glass with its reasonable scientific recognition.

0.5Al₂O₃-0.5P₂O₅-100SiO₂ gels containing organic group (OC₂H₅) were synthesized through partial hydrolysis of alkoxide.
The gels were calcined at 300～700℃ in N₂ atmosphere, in which－OC₂H₅ was carbonized to form carbon nanoparticles with
various sizes. Their absorption and photoluminescence spectra were measured. The absorption edge shifts to the higher-energy side as the
size of the carbon particle decreases. This phenomenon was interpreted in terms of a quantum confinement effect of electron and hole in the
carbon nanoparticles. The gel glasses doped with carbon nanoparticles show a strong and broad room-temperature photoluminescence with a peak
located around 586nm under the excitation of 532nm line of a Nd:YAG laser. The position of photoluminescence peaks shifts hardly with changing
the size of carbon nanoparticles. The photoluminescence spectra are originated from the surface of carbon nanoparticles or interfacial
layer between it and gel matrix. The carbon nanoparticles are amorphous carbon nanoparticle in the gel glasses by the X-ray diffraction,
high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectra.

The effect of composition on the tendency of forming BAS (barium aluminosilicate) sintered glass with compositions near the theoretical composition of
barium feldspar by sol-gel process was studied by XRD, SEM and Raman spectrum. Results indicated that, in the experimental range, larger SiO₂ content and larger
BaO/Al₂O₃ ratio were advantageous to glass formation. Increasing BaO/Al₂O₃ ratio causes an increase in the amount of alumina with [AlO₄] structure. The
relationship between [AlO₄]/Al³⁺ and BaO/Al₂O₃ can be expressed as a linear equation. A criterion for glass formation in the studied system was established. The
criteron showed good fitness with the experimental results.

Nanocrystalline α-Al₂O₃ powder was prepared by a wet-chemical method calcining the dry NH₄Al(OH)₂CO₃ precursor synthesized from NH₄Al(SO₄)₂ and NH₄HCO₃. Alumina ceramics were fabricated by pressureless sintering process at 1450℃ from bimodal alumina powder mixtures with the prepared nanocrystalline component using MgO and SiO₂ as additives. The effect of nanocrystalline α-Al₂O₃ component on alumina ceramics was also studied. The materials fabricated have better mechanical properties.

The influence of various polyelectrolyte dispersants on the rheological properties of sub-micron alumina suspensions was investigated. Stable 58vol% alumina suspensions suitable for casting was prepared by optimizing the factors including pH, dispersant type and amount, etc. Green compacts with homogeneous microstructures were obtained by the gel casting method. Finally, Al₂O₃ bodies sintered at 1600℃for 2h, with a relative dencity more then 98% were fabricated.

A novel colloidal forming processing of ceramics was investigated. The characteristic of silica
sol-gel was applied successfully to colloidal forming of ceramics. The process is based on the casting of the slurry, containing powder and silica sol
prepared by hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) at pH 12.8. Then the mixture forms gelled parts through silica sol-gel. Ceramic green parts
with strength of 5MPa can be obtained by this method. The forming process has advantages of low toxicity and high consolidation rate.

Ti(C,N)-based cermets were produced by using nanopowders of Ti(C,N). The effects of sintering temperature,
holding time and rate of raising temperature on the properties of Ti(C,N)-based cermets containing 10wt% nanopowders of Ti(C,N) were studied. An
optimum process of preparating cermets was obtained. It was the sintering temperature of 1450℃, holding time of 75min and rate
of raising temperature of 3℃/min. The tensile strength was improved about 36.7% by using the process. The reinforcing mechanisms were
considered chiefly to be grains refining, distributing and solution.

Ternary boride based cermet (TBBC) was produced successfully by using the reaction liquid sintering method under 1280℃ and vacuum. The hardness, density and coefficient of thermal expansion of TBBC are 92.4HRA, 8.2g/cm³ and 8.0×10^-6/K respectively. The microstructure of TBBC was studied by using SEM, XRD and EDS. Results show that the main composition of TBBC is ternary-boride-based hard phase and ferrous-base binder phase. TBBC has excellent wear resistance performance.

A new method for obtaining highly sinterable Y₂O₃ powders was developed. Those powders were used to prepare transparent bodies with
conventional sintering at relatively low temperature. Yttrium nitrate was used as a mother salt, and ammonia as a precipitant reagent, the fine
and dendritic precursor crystal was prepared by controlling the content of sulfate ions in the reaction system. The highly pure and low-agglomerated
Y₂O₃ powders were obtained by calcinating the precursor at 1100℃, the primary particles were spherical and about 60nm
in diameter. The powder compact pressed in steel die could be sintered to transparency without additives under vacuum at 1700℃. The sintered
transparent Y₂O₃ polycrystalline exhibited a homogeneous microstructure and its transmittance was up to 70% in the near infrared wavelength region.

A novel technique was studied to prepare Li_1+xV₃O₈ as cathode material for lithium secondary
batteries. V₂O₅ sol was prepared via a “quencher” method by NH₄VO₃ as raw material. Then it was mixed with LiOH solution. The spherical precursor
was obtained by a spray drying method. The Li_1+xV₃O₈ powders were synthesized by sintering the spherical precursor. DTA/TGA were
employed to analyze the precursor. The investigation of XRD, SEM and the determination of the electrochemical properties show the
particles obtained by sintering at 350℃ for 24h are fine, spherical, narrowly distributed and well crystallized. The resultant
material also has excellent electrochemical properties with an initial discharge specific capacity of 378 mAh·g^-1, and the discharge
specific capacity of the 10th cycle is 312mAh·g^-1.

The distribution of elements on the grain boundaries of Ba_0.92Ca_0.08Ti_1.02O₃ ceramics with low room temperature resistivity was studied by TEM combined with EDS. The point defects in the grain boundaries were also analyzed. The results show that the point defects in the grain boudaries of Ba_0.92Ca_0.08Ti_1.02O₃ ceramics with low room temperature resistivity mainly include Mn"_Ti, Mn'_Ti or Al'_Ti, and V"_Ba.

Al₂O₃-doped Ba_0.6Sr_0.4TiO₃(BST) ceramics were prepared by using conventional ceramic technology. The samples were analysed by
SEM and XRD. The results indicate that Al³⁺ behaves as a grain-growth helper below a certain doping level and also the
dopants have entered the unit-cell maintaining the perovskite structure of the solid solution. The dielectric constant and
dissipation factor decrease and the tunability increases by addition of Al₂O₃. The specimen at doping level of 0.8wt% has the optimal overall dielectric properties.

High-energy ball-milling process is a powerful method for the preparation of amorphous phases, nanocrystalline materials, and so on. In this paper, we applied the high-energy ball-milling process
to the synthesis of superionic conducting amorphous materials with Ag₂S content of 80 mol%. Ball milling of 12h to 20h led to the formation of amorphous phases in the composition. The amorphous
samples showed very high ionic conductivities, among which the 20h-ball-milled sample presented the maximum conductivity of 2.96×10⁰Sm^-1 at 298 K. Further ball milling resulted in
partial precipitation of Ag₈SiS₆ crystalline phase, therefore, a decrease in ionic conductivity was observed for the samples ball-milled for longer than 27h. DC polarization measurements suggested
that the ion transport number of the amorphous samples and the ball-milled samples containing some Ag₈SiS₆ crystalline phase, together with that of the Ag₈SiS₆ crystal, was practically unity.

α-Al₂O₃ micropowder with the even coating of Y₂O₃ was obtained in such an experiment by
using　α-Al₂O₃ powder as base material and Y(NO₃)₃ solution as coating phase through the liquid phase coating method. The aluminium matrix
composite reinforced by α-Al₂O₃ particles modified by Y₂O₃ was fabricated. The microstructure of the composite is more even. The mechanical properties testing indicates that the strengthening effect of
the modified-Al₂O₃ porticles on the Al alloy is improved obviously and the tensile strength of the composites increases by 27.2%, yield strength increases
by 33.1%, and the elongation increases by 10.3%.

Pure and Sb-doped ZnO nanoparticles were obtained by vapor-phase oxidation from Zn-Sb
alloy with different mole ratios as the raw material at the same experimental condition. The morphology, structure and chemical
state were investigated by TEM, XRD, HRTEM and XPS. With an increase in content of Sb in raw materials, the shape of nanoparticles varying
from tetrapod-shaped whisker, rod-liked, quadrangle to hexagon was observed by TEM. HRTEM image of the regularly hexagonal nanoparticles
indicates the distance between (1100) planes neighbouring in the Sb-doped ZnO nanoparticles with wurtzite structure is larger than that of the undoped
ZnO nanoparticles reported in literature. The XPS result clearly shows that Sb element has been doped into the ZnO nanoparticles, although the
XRD patterns of the as-synthesized nanoparticles reveal that there is not second phase except ZnO. The forming mechanism of tetrapod-shaped ZnO
nanoparticles and the effects of Sb on morphology of nanoparticles were discussed.

Different crystalline TiO₂ films prepared by the sol-gel method were modified by employing chlorophyll as the sensitizer, and characterized by XRD, AFM, UV-vis absorption spectra and Fluorescence emission spectra. The activity of killing the pathogenic bacteria of cabbage soft rot on chlorophyll-sensitized TiO₂ film was investigated. The results show that three TiO₂ nanocrystalline particles of anatase, mixed-crystalline and rutile sensitized by natural chlorophyll can effectively kill pathogenic cabbage-soft-rot bacteria under visible light.

The binary colloid (Ni(OH)₂/SiO₂) was prepared by using Ni(NO₃)₂(6H₂O) and (C₂H₅O)₄SiO₄ as starting materials. Then a part of the
colloid was dried in open air and the other part was used to form NiO/SiO₂ composite powders at hydrothermal conditions. Carbon
nanotubes (CNTs) were systhesized respectively by using these two kinds of powders as catalysts,with acetylene as the source of carbon.
The phase and morphology of the both catalysts and the morphology, output and yield of the two kinds of CNTs were compared by using XRD and
TEM. The results show that the catalyst powders synthesized by the hydrothermal method, compared with those synthesized in open air, are with smaller diameters
(10～20nm), better dispersion and have stronger catalytic activities, so that the pure CNTs with smaller tube diameters of
10～16nm can be obtained at a high yield. The differences of the carbon nanotubes prepared by using the catalysts synthesized by the
hydrothermal method at different temperatures were also studied.

Cobalt-filled carbon nanotubes were prepared in situ in the decomposition of benzene over Co/silica-gel
catalysts. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigation showed that the products contained abundance of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and most of them
were filled with metallic nanoparticles or nanorods. High-resolution TEM (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns and energy
dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed the presence of Co inside the nanotubes. The encapsulated Co was further identified as alpha-Co with fcc
structure, which frequently consists of twinned boundaries. Based on the experimental results, a possible growth mechanism of the Co-filled nanotubes
was proposed.

Hydroxyapatite (HAP), bioactive glass, wollastonite and composites of hydroxyapatite and wollastonite were
prepared. These different bioactive ceramics were soaked in the simulated body fluid (SBF) under the same condition and characterized by Fourier
Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). The results showed that the surfaces of these bioactive
ceramics were covered with a layer of carbonate hydroxyapatite (HCA) when soaked in SBF. The speed of HCA deposition and the microstructure of the
HCA were different between different materials. HCA formed on the surfaces of the above bioactive ceramics was spherical, and the HCA layer formed on
the surfaces of HAP and wollastonite was slightly loose as compared with that on bioactive glass. When wollastonite was added into HAP, both the speed of
HCA deposition and the microstructure of HCA formed on the surfaces of the composites were clearly affected. The results show that the speed of the HCA
deposition and the microstructure of HCA in SBF can be used to estimate the in vitro bioactivity of inorganic biomaterials, and the bioactivity
of the composites can be regulated by the ratio of the wollastonite/hydroxyapatite.

Fine-grain doped graphites, which possess excellent thermal-mechanical properties, were prepared by the ball-milling dispersion method. At the same time, the correlation between microstructure observed by SEM, EDX and XRD and the properties of the doped graphite was discussed. Such materials had dense and homogeneous structure with carbides dispersed uniformly in the carbon substrate, and showed an excellent thermal conductivity at elevated temperatures and thermal shock resistance.

The core-shell polystyrene/silica composite microspheres with tailored dimensions and compositions were prepared by layer-by-layer self-assembling. The polymer cores were removed by calcination
and hollow silica spheres with tailored wall thickness were produced. TEM photographs showed that silica nanoparticles formed a uniform shell round the core, which turned into a clear-cut
hollow sphere after calcination. TG revealed that silica content within the composite microspheres increased with the assembled nano silica diameter. Both the successful assembly of
SiO₂ and the complete removal of PS can be verified by FIIR comparison of PS, SiO₂, composite microspheres and the powders after heating treatment. With the same number layers
of nanoparticles adsorpted on the latex cores, the larger the selected SiO₂ nanoparticles diameter (10nm, 20nm, 40nm), the larger the composite microspheres diameter, and the thicker the hollow spheres’ wall.

The purified natural montmorillonites were modified by cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and octadecyltrimethylammonium chloride respectively. Mixtures
of the modified montmorillonites, neutral amine and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) at a molar ratio of 1:20:150 were allowed to react for 8h. The
resulting intercalates were centrifuged, dried in air and calcined at 540℃ for 4h to burn off the organic templates, a series
of novel porous silica/montmorillonites composites were successfully synthesized by the gallery-template structure-directing process. The structure
of the samples was characterized by XRD, TG, FT-IR, N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherms and acid-catalyzed alkylation probe reaction. The results show
that the samples synthesized have a narrowly pore distribution and super-gallery height, a large BET specific area. With the increasing of chain length of
neutral amine, the pore size and gallery height increase accordingly. The synthetic materials are potentially effective solid acid catalysts for the
Friedel-Crafts alkylation of catechol with tert-butyl alcohol to synthesize butyl 4-tert-butylcatechol (4-TBC). Over synthetic porous material by using CTAB
and hexylamine as template, the selectivity to 4-TBC of 78.5% and catechol conversion of 45.5% can be obtained under experimental condition.

Zeolite membrane has the potential advantages in a number of applications such as separation
and catalysis, chemical sensors, electrode, acoustic wave devices and optics devices. The paper reports a novel method for continuous
NaA zeolite membrane deposited on porous aluminum substrate by microwave heating at ambient pressure and under reflux. The effects of
placement manners, alkalinity, Na⁺ concentration and synthesis times on zeolite membrane formation were investigated. XRD and SEM results show
that high alkalinity and high Na⁺ concentration don’t benefit to form continuous membrane, whereas dissolve membrane layer. Among three
placement manners, vertical placement and horizontal placement manners show better effects on zeolite membrane formation. In order to improve membrane
quality, employing multi-stage synthesis is necessarily, which is prone to restrain transformation of NaA zeolite and increases intergrown degree
of membrane in gel reactant system for short synthesis time.

Beta-Al₂O₃ structured ionic conductors, involving β- and β’’-Al₂O₃ phases, are among the most favorable solid electrolyte materials
for electrochemical sensors because of their excellent ionic conductivity and chemical stability. Usually they are used in tube or disc forms.
Microcrack-free beta-Al₂O₃ films on α-Al₂O₃ or its composite ceramic substrates were obtained by the surface reaction of the
substrate with lithium and sodium component from beta-Al₂O₃ atmosphere. SEM results show heterogeneous microstructures of the
beta-Al₂O₃ film, with some overgrown grains as large as 15μm. The addition of MgAl_2O_4 spinel phase in the α-Al₂O₃
substrate effectively improves the morphology of the films with maximum grain size of 2～3μm. The kinetic processes of the Na-beta-Al₂O₃
(Li,Mg) film formation on composite substrate are controlled by both the lithium transportation velocity and the rearrangement of α-Al₂O₃
to spinel structure of beta-Al₂O₃. Impedance analyses indicate that the beta-Al₂O₃ films obtained possess comparable electrical properties
to those of ceramic blocks and depend on the relative contents of β- and β’’-Al₂O₃, and obey the Arrehnius relationship.

Carbon nanotube was used as a reinforcement agent to prepare Ni-P matrix composite coating. The tribological behaviour of the composite coating was
examined on a reciprocating wear test machine. The surface morphologies before and after wear test were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the carbon nanotubes
are uniformly embedded in the matrix and one end protruded from the surface. The Ni-P-carbon nanotube composite coating has high wear resistance and self-lubrication. The CNTs layer in the
matrix protects the surface of the matrix from wearing. Meanwhile the incorporation of the CNTs suppresses the plastic deformation and enhances the mechanical properties of the coating.

Ceramic oxide coatings were formed on Ti6Al4V alloy surface by Microarc Oxidation(MAO) in Na₂SiO₃-KOH-(NaPO₃)₆ solution using an AC power supply. The effects of voltage and
frequency of the power on growth kinetics, microstructure and phase constitute of the coatings were studied. The results show: with voltage
increasing or frequency decreasing, the growth rate of the coatings increases, but the surface morphology becomes coarser. The as-deposited
coatings are relatively dense and uniform, mainly composed of anatase and rutile TiO₂. The phase constitute in the coatings depends on electrical
parameters of voltage and frequency. With voltage increasing or frequency decreasing, the content of anatase TiO₂ decreases, while rutile TiO₂
increases and becomes the predominant phase.

TiO₂/SnO₂ composite thin films were prepared on soda-lime glass with the sol-gel method. The influence of
SnO₂ doping concentration, heat-treatment temperature and film thickness on the super-hydrophilicity and photocatalytic activity of the composite
films was studied by XRD, XPS, UV-spectra, measuring the contact angle and the degradation of methyl orange. The results indicate that the doping of SnO₂
into TiO₂ can improve their hydrophilicity and photocatalytic activity, and the composite film with 1%-5% SnO₂ and heat-treated at
450℃ is of super-hydrophilicity. The optimal SnO₂ concentration for the photocatalytic activity is 10% and larger film thickness is helpful
to reduce the contact angle of the composite films.

TiO₂ nanometer thin films were prepared on soda-lime glass and pre-coated SiO₂ soda lime glass
via a sol-gel method, respectively. The as-calcined TiO₂ nanometer thin films were then treated by dipping them in 1mol/L HNO₃ aqueous solution.
The TiO₂ nanometer films before and after surface acid treatment were characterized by UV-VIS spectrophotometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
(XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and photocatalytic activity of the thin films were evaluated by photocatalytic decoloration of methyl
orange aqueous solution. The results show that SiO₂ layer can effectively retard the diffusion of Na ions from glass substrates to TiO₂ films.
The photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ thin films is significantly enhanced after treated with HNO₃ solution. The enhancement of the
activity is ascribed to the reduction of sodium ions and the increase of the surfacehydroxyl content in the TiO₂ films.

The gas-liquid reaction method was used to prepare iron-nitride magnetic fluids, and the optimum conditions of prepartion were found out. The specific magnetization intensity of iron-nitride magnetic fluid prepared reached 0.05T(before being condensed), and the iron-nitride magnetic fluids obtained were applied in static sealing valves made by our group.

Composite AlN powder, mixed with the sintering additive Y_₂O_₃, was synthesized by the direct
nitridation of molten Al-Mg-Y alloys. The character of products was determined by means of electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction,
granularmetric analysis and chemical composition analysis etc. The results show that the nitridation rate of the raw alloys is higher,
and the nitridation products are porous enough to be easily crushed. Composite AlN powder, obtained by the Lanxide method, has excellent
characters such as high purity, especially low oxygen content, and narrow well-distributed grain size and so on.

ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by a precipitation method with Zn(NO₃)₂·6H₂O as the starting material
and Na₂CO₃ as the precipitant. When the concentration of the reactants reduced from 2.0 to 0.5mol·L^-1, the particle size hardly changed but the agglomeration was weaker. TG-DSC curves of the precursor show that
the precursor decomposes at about 253℃. XRD pattern of the powder indicates that the hexagonal wurtzite ZnO nanocrystals can be obtained when
the precursor calcinated at 300℃ for 2h. TEM micrographs show that the ZnO nanoparticles are well dispersed and the average particle size
is 15～20nm. The specific surface area of the obtained powder is 64.12m²·g^-1. There is no obvious difference whether to wash the precipitate by distilled water or ammonia
before to wash by ethanol.

By using zinc nitrate and hydrogen sulfide as source materials, nanometer zinc sulfide was synthesized by a high
gravity method in a rotating packed bed. The effect of aging time on product sizes was investigated and 48h was chosen. Well-dispersed
nanometer zinc sulfide particles with a sphalerite crystal phase were prepared. The crystal structure, optical properties, size and morphology
of the product were also characterized by XRD, UV-Vis spectrophotometer and TEM. The results show that the average particle size of ZnS obtained is about
30nm and the conversion rate is 97.5 percent.

2Y-TZP nanopowder was prepared by a coprecipitation method, using NH₄HCO₃, ZrOCl₂·9H₂O and Y(NO₃)₃ as the starting materials. During the precipitating process, (NH₄)₃ZrOH(CO₃)₃·2H₂O
was formed through a two-step reaction. First, NH₄HCO₃ reacted with ZrOCl₂·9H₂O to form Zr(OH)₄, then NH₄HCO₃ further reacted with Zr(OH)4 to form (NH₄)₃ZrOH(CO₃)₃·2H₂O.
The resulting (NH₄)₃ZrOH(CO₃)₃·2H₂O was unstable and decomposed into ZrO₂, NH₃, H₂O and CO₂ at about 130℃. The 2Y-TZP powders obtained by calcining the precipitate
mixture at 300℃ and 450℃ showed very fine particle sizes and were almost free of large hard aggregates. Furthermore, these powders showed good sinterability and could be highly
densified at a low temperature of 1225℃.

The internal frictions and elastic moduli of colossal magnetoresistance material La_0.7Pb_0.3MnO₃ were measured on multi-function internal friction apparatus with the low frequency torsion pendulum.
The inverse proportionality of the peak height against the measurement frequency and the invariance of the peak position by changing frequencies are typical features of phase transition. The corresponding
elastic modulus with a local minimum at internal friction peaks also characterizes the nature of phase transition. The relationships between double peaks of internal friction and the double peaks of electric resistance
versus temperature were explaned by studying the colossal magnetoresistance effect and the susceptibility. The internal friction peak and resistance peak at higher temperatures correspond well with Curie temperature,
ascribed to a transition from PMI to FMM. The internal friction peak at lower temperatures and the monotony descending of susceptibility may be interpreted as the phase separation originated from an inhomogeneous
distributing of electric and magnetic phase, whereas the high resistance peak at lower temperatures may be partly from the phase separation.

Bi₃NbTiO₉ (BNT) ceramic material with 95%～97% of the theoretical density was prepared by the conventional mixed-oxide method. Its Curie temperature (T_c) of 914℃ was measured to
be almost the highest one among those of all the ceramics known up to date. And obviously, the piezoelectric ceramic can be used at higher
temperatures. The crystal structure of the ceramic was examined by XRD method. Anisometric plate-like crystalline grains were
observed by SEM, which revealed the layered structure of the material. Furthermore, the hysteresis (P-E) loop measurement showed a typical hard
ferroelectricity in the Bi₃NbTiO₉ ceramics, and the piezoelectric constant (d₃₃) measured was 7pC/N.

The conductivity of nanometer TiO₂ thin films was studied. The dependence of the conductivity of TiO₂ thin films on the thickness of the film and the
substrate materials were educed. The TiO₂ films were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering of Ti target in an Ar+O₂ mixture in a conventional
sputtering reactor. The thickness of the films varied in the range from 15nm to 225 nm. The electrical resistivity of the films was measured at
room temperature in the air. The results show that the conductivity of TiO₂ thin films varies from metal, semiconductor to nonconductor. This is
attributed to the transfer of the electrons at the interface between the TiO₂ and substrates, and the difference of work function determines the
depth of the transfer of the electrons.

Epitaxy of the cubic Mg_xZn_1-xO thin films on Si (111) was achieved by the reactive electron beam evaporation
for the first time. Energy dispersive x-ray detection (EDX) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to characterize the as-grown films. The
orientation of cubic Mg_xZn_1-xO films relies on the growth temperature and the highly (200) oriented Mg_xZn_1-xO films are
attainable only at the optimal growth temperature of about 200℃. Photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectroscopic measurement demonstrates
that the optical absorption band edge of the cubic Mg_xZn_1-xO is at 4.20eV, which is 3.50eV lower than the band gap of MgO. Furthermore, XRD
measurements indicate the lattice mismatch between cubic Mg_xZn_1-xO and MgO is only 0.16%. The successful growth of high quality Mg_xZn_1-xO
renders the fabrication of cubic phase Mg_xZn_1-xO/MgO multiple quantum wells possible.