The development of the electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) catalyst is attracting attention, assuming the use of surplus electricity from renewable energy sources. As a product of CO₂RR, carbon monoxide is actively studied because CO can be converted to other useful chemical substances. In this study, we focused on ZrN nanoparticles as a novel catalyst for CO₂RR. ZrN was prepared by a liquid-phase process, the so-called “urea-glass route”. In the X-ray diffraction pattern of products, the peaks of ZrN were only confirmed. The elemental analysis showed that the obtained samples contained residual carbon, suggesting the composite of ZrN and carbon. Scanning electron microscope observation showed that the size of ZrN nanoparticles was approximately 100 nm, and the nanoparticles were aggregated. The CO₂RR tests showed that the Faradaic efficiency of carbon monoxide formation was 22 %, and that of hydrogen was 54 % at −0.8 V vs. RHE. Although the Faradaic efficiency for carbon monoxide was relatively small, we confirmed the electrochemical CO₂RR activity of ZrN-carbon composite.

We have studied the effect of B₂O₃ substitution by P₂O₅ on the elastic property of four composition series of SnO–P₂O₅–B₂O₃ glasses. The nonlinear evolution of Young’s modulus with increasing B₂O₃/P₂O₅ substitution has substantial implications for understanding the elastic properties of the oxide glasses. The observed Young’s modulus can be simulated using structural information based on the Makishima-Mackenzie model. The proportions of tetrahedral and trigonal units in the network were elucidated using high-field ¹¹B and ³¹P MAS-NMR spectroscopy, but this does not entirely match the observed Young’s modulus. When the simulation is performed, satisfactory results are obtained so that some of the PO₄–BO₄-related bonds are not counted twice. However, the specific type of local structure, mainly consisting of tetrahedral units, is discussed.

Octahedral hexanuclear rare-earth clusters [M₆(μ-O)(μ-OH)₈(NO₃)₆(H₂O)_x]·(NO₃)₂·yH₂O (M = Y, Nd, Gd) were synthesized in high yields by hydrolyzing rare-earth nitrates with small alkylamines. This method does not require metallic reagents other than the rare-earth sources. The highest yields of Y₆, Nd₆, and Gd₆ were ∼0.97, ∼0.68, and ∼0.92, respectively.