Abstract: To provide a toner for developing electrostatic images which is not easily cause the phenomenon of toner-spent, constituent materials are so selected that a charge control resin has hardness which is the same as the hardness of a binder resin or the charge control resin is harder than the binder resin, as measured with a scanning probe microscope in a viscoelasticity evaluation mode in respect to the binder resin and the charge control resin which are present in the particle interiors or particle surfaces of the toner.

Abstract: The invention provides a PHA copolymer including at least a 3-hydroxy-?-carboxyalkanoic acid represented by a formula (19) or (32) and simultaneously at least a unit represented by a formula (2) or a formula (3) in a molecule, a precursor PHA copolymer having a corresponding vinyl group or a corresponding alkoxycarbonyl group, a biosynthesis method thereof by microorganisms, and a method of producing a desired PHA copolymer from the precursor PHA copolymer: (wherein k, m, n are integers; R18 represents H, Na, K, R27? represents (A); R1 represents a substituent on a cyclohexyl group and represents H, CN, NO2, a halogen atom, CH3, C2H5, C3H7, CF3, C2F5, or C3F7; R includes a residue including a phenyl structure or a thienyl structure; these being independent for each unit).

Abstract: A polyhydroxyalkanoate is disclosed which has in the molecule a unit represented by Chemical Formula (1). wherein R is arbitrarily selected from a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, CN, NO2, COOR?, SO2R?, CH3, C2H5, C3H7, C(CH3)2H and C(CH3)3; where R? is H, Na, K, CH3 or C2H5, and R? is OH, ONa, OK, a halogen atom, OCH3 or OC2H5; and x is an integer arbitrarily selected from 1 to 8; with the proviso that a polyhydroxyalkanoate is excluded which has a hydrogen atom as R and x in all the units is 2 or 4. Also disclosed is a process for producing the polyhydroxyalkanoate by the use of a microorganism having the ability to produce the polyhydroxyalkanoate and accumulate it in the bacterial body.

Abstract: The invention provides a polyhydroxyalkanoate having a bromo group in a unit and being thermally stable and capable of arbitrarily controlling physical properties, and a producing method thereof. According to the invention, there are provided a polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer including a 3-hydroxy-?-bromoalkanoic acid unit represented by a formula—[OCH((CH2)nBr)CH2C(O)]— (n=1 to 8) (1) and a unit represented by a formula —[OCH((CH2)mR)CH2C(O)]— (2) within a same molecule, and a method for producing a polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer by microorganisms, utilizing a ?-bromoalkanoic acid represented by a formula Br(CH2)pCH2CH2COOH (p=1 to 8) (20) and a compound represented by a formula R(CH2)qCH2CH2COOH (21) as raw materials.

Abstract: The invention provides a PHA copolymer including at least a 3-hydroxy-?-carboxyalkanoic acid represented by a formula (19) or (32) and simultaneously at least a unit represented by a formula (2) or a formula (3) in a molecule, a precursor PHA copolymer having a corresponding vinyl group or a corresponding alkoxycarbonyl group, a biosynthesis method thereof by microorganisms, and a method of producing a desired PHA copolymer from the precursor PHA copolymer: (wherein k, m, n are integers; R18 represents H, Na, K, R27? represents (A); R1 represents a substituent on a cyclohexyl group and represents H, CN, NO2, a halogen atom, CH3, C2H5, C3H7, CF3, C2F5, or C3F7; R includes a residue including a phenyl structure or a thienyl structure; these being independent for each unit).

Abstract: A method for producing a polyhydroxyalkanoate using a microorganism capable of substantially reducing unintended monomer units and obtaining the polyhydroxyalkanoate in a high yield. A microorganism capable of synthesizing a novel polyhydroxyalkanoate having 3-hydroxy-substituted benzoylalkanoic acid as a monomer unit, using a substituted benzoylalkanoic acid as a material, is cultured in a medium containing a substituted benzoylalkanoic acid. Then, the polyhydroxyalkanoate produced in the cultured bacteria is extracted and recovered.

Abstract: To provide a toner for developing electrostatic images which is not easily cause the phenomenon of toner-spent, constituent materials are so selected that a charge control resin has hardness which is the same as the hardness of a binder resin or the charge control resin is harder than the binder resin, as measured with a scanning probe microscope in a viscoelasticity evaluation mode in respect to the binder resin and the charge control resin which are present in the particle interiors or particle surfaces of the toner.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of effectively producing polyhydroxyalkanoate having an aromatic substituted residue in its monomer unit. In the method of producing polyhydroxyalkanoate by using microorganisms, microorganisms capable of producing polyhydroxyalkanoate are cultured in a culture medium containing at least one starting compound selected from the group consisting of substituted alkanes represented by formula (1) to produce polyhydroxyalkanoate having, in its molecule, at least one unit selected from the group consisting of 3-hydroxy-substituted alkanoate units represented by formula (2): R—(CH2)n—CH2—CH2—CH3??(1) wherein R represents a residue containing a substituted aromatic ring, and n represents any integer of 1 to 8; wherein R represents a residue containing a substituted aromatic ring, and n represents any integer of 1 to 8. In formulas (1) and (2), a residue R is as described in the specification.

Abstract: A polyhydroxyalkanoate characterized by having in the molecule a unit represented by Chemical Formula (1): wherein n may assume any one integral value within the range of from 1 to 8. Also disclosed are a process for producing the polyhydroxyalkanoate by the use of a microorganism having the ability to produce the polyhydroxyalkanoate and accumulate it in the bacterial body; a charge control agent, a toner binder and a toner which contain this polyhydroxyalkanoate; and an image-forming method and an image-forming apparatus which make use of the toner.

Abstract: A polyhydroxyalkanoate is disclosed which has in the molecule a unit represented by Chemical Formula (1). wherein R is arbitrarily selected from a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, CN, NO2, COOR?, SO2R?, CH3, C2H5, C3H7, C(CH3)2H and C(CH3)3; where R? is H, Na, K, CH3 or C2H5, and R? is OH, ONa, OK, a halogen atom, OCH3 or OC2H5; and x is an integer arbitrarily selected from 1 to 8; with the proviso that a polyhydroxyalkanoate is excluded which has a hydrogen atom as R and x in all the units is 2 or 4. Also disclosed is a process for producing the polyhydroxyalkanoate by the use of a microorganism having the ability to produce the polyhydroxyalkanoate and accumulate it in the bacterial body.

Abstract: Provided is a polyhydroxyalkanoate containing in a molecule thereof one or more units each selected from the following formulae (1) (2), (3) and (4): wherein R1 and R6 are each OH, halogen, ONa, OK, OCH3 or OC2H5; A1 and J6 are each a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic hydrocarbon; m and n are each 0 to 7; r is 1 to 500; and R1? to R5? are each hydrogen or halogen.

Abstract: A polyhydroxyalkanoate that comprises a unit represented by the following chemical formula (1): wherein R1 is a substituent of an aromatic ring selected from the group consisting of H, CH3, C2H5, CH3CH2CH2, (CH3)2CH, (CH3)3C, a halogen atom, CN, NO2, COOR?, and SO2R?, wherein R? is selected from the group consisting of H, Na, K, CH3, and C2H5, and R? is selected from the group consisting of OH, a halogen atom, ONa, OK, OCH3, and OC2H5; and x represents an integer of 1 to 8 being the same or different each other in the polyhydroxyalkanoate. A method for producing the polyhydroxyalkanoate is also provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel PHA comprising a unit containing thioether with high reactivity, and its production method. The present invention also provides polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) comprising units having defined chemical formulas (1) and (2), and at least one of four units having defined chemical formulas (3), (4), (5) and (6); its production method; a charge control agent containing the PHA; a toner binder containing the charge control agent; an electrostatic latent image developing toner; and an image forming method and an image forming apparatus using the electrostatic latent image developing toner.

Abstract: A polyhydroxyalkanoate comprises a unit of formula (1): —(O—CH((CH2)mSASO2R)CH2C(?O))— wherein R is selected from the group consisting of OH, a halogen atom, ONa, OK, OCH3 and OC2H5; A represents a substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic hydrocarbon structure; m is an integer number selected from 1 to 8; and in the case where a plurality of units exist in the same molecule, R, A and m in one unit can be different from them in another unit respectively.

Abstract: A method is provided which biosynthesizes a PHA having an epoxy group on a side chain with improved physicochemical properties. Specifically, a method of producing a polyester containing an epoxy group in a side chain thereof using alkene as a raw material is provided which comprises the steps of bringing alkene into contact with a microorganism having an ability to uptake alkene and convert it to a polyester and allowing the microorganism to convert the alkene into a polyester containing an epoxy group in a side chain thereof. Further, a method of producing a crosslinked polymer is provided which comprises reacting the polyester obtained by the above mentioned method with a diamine compound.

Abstract: A polyhydroxyalkanoate that comprises a unit represented by the following chemical formula (1): wherein x is an integer of 1 to 8 being the same or different in the polyhydroxyalkanoate. The microbial production process is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing highly purified polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) with high yield, by removing cell components other than PHA from cells containing PHA. Moreover, the present invention provides a method for simply removing or reducing chlorine remained in the collected PHA particles, when a treatment with an oxidizing agent containing hypochlorite is performed in the production of PHA as described above. One of the above-described methods comprises a step of treating cells containing polyhydroxyalkanoate with an oxidizing agent containing at least hypochlorite, a step of separating the treated cells into a water-soluble fraction and a water-insoluble fraction, and a step of reducing chlorine remained in the water-insoluble fraction. The step of reducing chlorine may be a step of washing the water-insoluble fraction with a hot water, thiosulfate solution or polar solvent solution containing at least an organic polar solvent in which polyhydroxyalkanoate is insoluble.

Abstract: Microorganisms capable of producing novel polyalkanoates having 3-hydroxybenzoylalkanoic acids as monomer units by utilizing benzoylalkanoic acids as starting materials are cultured in media containing benzoylalkanoic acids and saccharides, and the polyhydroxyalkanoates produced in the culture cells are extracted and recovered.

Abstract: PHA containing a novel 3-hydroxy-thioalkanoic acid unit having a highly reactive thienyl group in a side chain thereof, and a method of producing the same are provided. Specifically, 5-(2-thienylsulfanyl) valeric acid represented by Chemical Formula [4] below and 6-(2-thienylsulfanyl) hexanoic acid represented by Chemical Formula [5] below are provided. Further, a method of producing PHA, comprising the step of collecting PHA from cells of a microorganism cultured in a medium containing the valeric acid or hexanoic acid, and a novel PHA represented by Chemical Formula [1] below are provided.

Abstract: A binder resin which forms a resin powdery product such as a toner for developing electrostatic latent images. The binder resin comprises a biodegradable resin comprising a polyhydroxyalkanoate produced by culturing a microorganism and having as a specific monomer unit a 3-hydroxyalkanoic acid such as 3-hydroxy-5-phenylvaleric acid. This binder resin has very good properties as a binder resin and also has a high safety to human bodies and environment. Also disclosed are a toner for developing electrostatic latent images which contains such a binder resin, and an image-forming method and an image-forming apparatus which make use of the toner.