We performed accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating and wiggle-matching of 2 wood samples from charred trunks of trees (samples A and B) collected from an ignimbrite deposit on the northeastern slope of the Baitoushan Volcano on the border of China and North Korea. The obtained calendar years for the eruption are cal AD 945–960 for sample A and cal AD 859–884 and cal AD 935–963 for sample B in the 2-σ range. These results are unable to determine the precise eruption age. The reason for the difference in reported ages may be due to volcanic gas emission prior to the huge eruption.

A simple novel route to synthesize aqueous tantalum and niobium precursors has been developed using cheap and stable Nb2O5 or Ta2O5 as starting source, based on basic flux technique. Various analytical techniques have been employed to characterize the purity, and thermal decomposition features of the precursors. Using home-made Ta and Nb precursors, several photocatalysts and ferroelectric powders such as LiNbO3, LiTaO3, Sr0.75Ba0.25Nb2O6, and SrBi2Ta2O9 have been prepared at lower processing temperature by a polymerizable complex route successfully.