Abstract: The present invention provides a sulfur-modified polyacrylonitrile having a total content of sulfur of from 30 mass % to 55 mass % and having a content of free sulfur of from 0.05 ppm by mass to 4 mass % determined by a solvent extraction method, an electrode active material containing the same, an electrode for a secondary battery including the electrode active material, a method of manufacturing the electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery using the electrode.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of producing sulfur-modified polyacrylonitrile, including: a step (1) of heating polyacrylonitrile and elemental sulfur in a rotating-type heating container including a discharge pipe and a sulfur vapor recovery unit while rotating the rotating-type heating container; a step (2) of liquefying a sulfur vapor by the sulfur vapor recovery unit while discharging hydrogen sulfide generated in the heating step; and a step (3) of returning the liquefied sulfur to a mixture of the sulfur and the polyacrylonitrile of the step (1).

Abstract: An encapsulated agent includes a central part and an outer part that covers a surface of the central part. The central part contains a viscosity-reducing material that reduces viscosity of a fluid to be used in a hydrofracturing technique. The outer part contains a plurality of particulate substances and a holding material that holds the plurality of particulate substances and enables gradual release of the central part in the fluid. The outer part involves distribution of the plurality of particulate substances that allows a content to have one or more local maxima in a direction away from the central part.

Abstract: A carrier system carries a dye (A) and a co-adsorbent (B) represented by general formula (1): wherein, ring A represents a 5- or 6-membered heterocycle and may further be fused; a hydrogen atom in the ring A may be replaced by a halogen atom, a cyano group, a nitro group, an —OR2 group, an —SR2 group, or a hydrocarbon group that may have a substituent; Z represents a divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group that is interrupted zero to three times by —O— etc.; Z1 represents a divalent aromatic group; R1 represents a carboxylic acid group, a sulfonic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, or a phosphonic acid group; R2 and R3 each represent a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group that may have a substituent; Anm? represents an m-valent anion; m represents an integer of 1 or 2; and p represents a coefficient for keeping the electrical charge neutral.

Abstract: An encapsulated agent includes a central part and an outer part that covers a surface of the central part. The central part contains a material that is expansive with respect to a liquid, and the outer part contains a material that is able to induce expansion of the central part with respect to the liquid.

Abstract: An encapsulated agent includes: a central part 1; and an outer part 2 that covers a surface of the central part 1. The central part 1 contains a viscosity-reducing material that reduces the viscosity of a fluid to be used in a hydrofracturing technique. The outer part 2 enables gradual release of the central part 1 in the fluid, and contains a styrene-butadiene copolymer having glass-transition temperature that is equal to or higher than ?20 degrees centigrade and equal to or lower than 80 degrees centigrade.

Abstract: An encapsulated agent includes a central part and an outer part that covers a surface of the central part. The central part contains a viscosity-reducing material that reduces viscosity of a fluid to be used in a hydrofracturing technique. The outer part contains a plurality of particulate substances and a holding material that holds the plurality of particulate substances and enables gradual release of the central part in the fluid. The outer part involves distribution of the plurality of particulate substances that allows a content to have one or more local maxima in a direction away from the central part.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dye-sensitized solar cell which includes a working electrode and a counter electrode facing each other with an electrolyte layer therebetween, the working electrode having a dye-supporting metal oxide electrode composed of a metal oxide layer having a dye supported thereon. The dye contains a cyanine dye, and the electrolyte of the electrolyte layer contains a cobalt-based electrolyte. It is preferred to use at least one cyanine dye represented by general formula (1) as the cyanine dye. Anq? represents a q-valent anion, wherein q represents 1 or 2, and p represents a coefficient for maintaining overall charge neutrality.

Abstract: Provided are an additive for an electrolytic composition which can suppress the decrease of a short-circuit current and improve an open circuit voltage as compared to the case when conventional 4-TBpy is used as an additive for an electrolytic composition, and an electrolytic composition using this additive and a dye-sensitized solar cell. The additive for an electrolytic composition for use in a dye-sensitized solar cell contains a pyridine derivative having a pyridine ring into which an alkylsilyl group is introduced, and it is preferable that this pyridine derivative has an alkylsilyl group at the 4-position of the pyridine ring, and it is more preferable that the pyridine derivative is 4-(trimethylsilyl) pyridine.

Abstract: A dye-sensitized solar cell including a working electrode having a photocatalytic film, a counter electrode, and an electrolyte-containing layer or solid charge-transfer layer containing a basic compound, wherein the photocatalytic film includes an oxide semiconductor layer containing a dye compound represented by the following formula (1), wherein Y is an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and having —CO—NR4— or —SO2—NR4— in the group, or a direct bond, Z is a conjugated group, R1, R2, and R3 each represent an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group or an optionally substituted hydrocarbonoxy group, at least one of R1, R2, and R3 is an optionally substituted hydrocarbonoxy group, and R4 represents a hydrogen atom or an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.

Abstract: A method for loading a support with a compound in an organic solvent, characterized in that the organic solvent contains an amine. The organic solvent preferably has a hydroxy group. The compound preferably has at least one of carboxyl, sulfonic, phosphoric, phosphonic, and alkoxysilyl groups. The support is preferably a metal oxide, such as titanium oxide, zinc oxide, or aluminum oxide. The resulting compound-loaded support is suited for use as an electrode.

Abstract: This carrier carries a pigment (A) and a co-adsorbent (B) represented by the following general formula (1). (In the formula, ring A represents a 5- or 6-membered heterocycle which may be further condensed; the hydrogen atom in ring A may be substituted by a hydrocarbon group which may have a substituent, a halogen atom, a cyano group, a nitro group, a —OR2 group, or a —SR2 group; Z represents a divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group interrupted 0-3 times by —O— or the like; Z1 represents a divalent aromatic group; R1 represents a carboxylic acid group, a sulfonic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, or a phosphonic acid group; R2 and R3 represent a hydrocarbon group which may have a hydrogen atom or a substituent; Anm? represents an m-valent anion; m represents an integer of 1 or 2; and p represents a coefficient for maintaining a neutral electric charge).

Abstract: Disclosed is a dye-sensitized solar cell which includes a working electrode and a counter electrode facing each other with an electrolyte layer therebetween, the working electrode having a dye-supporting metal oxide electrode composed of a metal oxide layer having a dye supported thereon. The dye contains a cyanine dye, and the electrolyte of the electrolyte layer contains a cobalt-based electrolyte. It is preferred to use at least one cyanine dye represented by general formula (1) as the cyanine dye. Anq? represents a q-valent anion, wherein q represents 1 or 2, and p represents a coefficient for maintaining overall charge neutrality.

Abstract: A carrier system carries at least one type of sensitizing dye described in (A) and at least one type of sensitizing dye described in (B): (A) a sensitizing dye having a ?-conjugated group and at least one anchor group, wherein the ?-conjugated group and every one of the anchor group(s) are connected by a spacer having at least one alkylene and having an atomicity of 5 to 20; and (B) a sensitizing dye having a ?-conjugated group and at least one anchor group, wherein the ?-conjugated group and at least one anchor group are connected by a direct bond or by a spacer having at least one alkylene and having an atomicity of 1 to 4. In (A) and (B), the spacer is composed of carbon atoms, or carbon atoms and oxygen atom(s) etc., under predetermined conditions (see Description), and may have a branched chain or a ring structure.

Abstract: The photoelectric conversion device described herein includes a working electrode having a dye-supported metal oxide electrode in which a dye is supported on a metal oxide layer. The dye includes a structure represented by general formula (I) wherein A is a structure having a maximum absorption wavelength ?max of 350 to 500 nm in a methanol solution; B is a cyanine skeleton having a maximum absorption wavelength ?max of 500 to 700 nm in a methanol solution; Z1 is any one divalent linking group selected from —CONR—, —NRCO—, —SO2NR—, and —NRSO2—; R in Z1 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, or an arylalkyl group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms; Y1 and Y2 are each independently an alkylene group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, or a single bond, and may be the same or different; r is 1 or 2; m and n are each independently an integer of 0 to 2; and (m+n) is 1 or more.

Abstract: A dye-sensitized solar cell including a working electrode having a photocatalytic film, a counter electrode, and an electrolyte-containing layer or solid charge-transfer layer containing a basic compound, wherein the photocatalytic film includes an oxide semiconductor layer containing a dye compound represented by the following formula (1), wherein Y is an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and having —CO—NR4— or —SO2—NR4— in the group, or a direct bond, Z is a conjugated group, R1, R2, and R3 each represent an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group or an optionally substituted hydrocarbonoxy group, at least one of R1, R2, and R3 is an optionally substituted hydrocarbonoxy group, and R4 represents a hydrogen atom or an optionally substituted hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion element includes a working electrode having a dye-supported metal oxide electrode in which a dye is supported on a metal oxide layer, a compound having a structure represented by the following general formula (1): is used as the dye. wherein R1 to R4 are each independently a linear alkyl group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms and may be the same or different; A1 and A2 are each any one selected from the following aromatic ring group A (a pyrrole ring in the formula (1) is represented by an arc a to show a condensation position with the pyrrole ring), may be the same or different, and may have a substituent in an aromatic ring; Anp- is a p-valent anion; p is 1 or 2; and q is a coefficient for keeping a charge of the entire dye neutral.

Abstract: The photoelectric conversion device described herein includes a working electrode having a dye-supported metal oxide electrode in which a dye is supported on a metal oxide layer. The dye includes a structure represented by general formula (I) wherein A is a structure having a maximum absorption wavelength ?max of 350 to 500 nm in a methanol solution; B is a cyanine skeleton having a maximum absorption wavelength ?max of 500 to 700 nm in a methanol solution; Z1 is any one divalent linking group selected from —CONR—, —NRCO—, —SO2NR—, and —NRSO2—; R in Z1 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, or an arylalkyl group having 7 to 20 carbon atoms; Y1 and Y2 are each independently an alkylene group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, or a single bond, and may be the same or different; r is 1 or 2; m and n are each independently an integer of 0 to 2; and (m+n) is 1 or more.

Abstract: Provided are an additive for an electrolytic composition which can suppress the decrease of a short-circuit current and improve an open circuit voltage as compared to the case when conventional 4-TBpy is used as an additive for an electrolytic composition, and an electrolytic composition using this additive and a dye-sensitized solar cell. The additive for an electrolytic composition for use in a dye-sensitized solar cell contains a pyridine derivative having a pyridine ring into which an alkylsilyl group is introduced, and it is preferable that this pyridine derivative has an alkylsilyl group at the 4-position of the pyridine ring, and it is more preferable that the pyridine derivative is 4-(trimethylsilyl)pyridine.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion element includes a working electrode having a dye-supported metal oxide electrode in which a dye is supported on a metal oxide layer, a compound having a structure represented by the following general formula (1): is used as the dye. wherein R1 to R4 are each independently a linear alkyl group having 4 to 20 carbon atoms and may be the same or different; A1 and A2 are each any one selected from the following aromatic ring group A (a pyrrole ring in the formula (1) is represented by an arc a to show a condensation position with the pyrrole ring), may be the same or different, and may have a substituent in an aromatic ring; Anp- is a p-valent anion; p is 1 or 2; and q is a coefficient for keeping a charge of the entire dye neutral.