Abstract: A method for producing a chiral metal oxide structure, involves a sol-gel step of allowing a transition metal compound having a bi- or higher dentate chelate ligand to act on a chiral supramolecular crystal of an acid-base complex containing a polymer having a linear polyethyleneimine skeleton and a chiral dicarboxylic acid compound having two carboxyl groups and four or more carbon atoms to form a metal oxide layer on a surface of the chiral supramolecular crystal; and a calcination step of thermally decomposing the organic chiral supramolecular crystal after the sol-gel step to generate a transition metal oxide structure composed of the metal oxide layer prepared with the supramolecular crystal as a template.

Abstract: A method for producing a chiral metal oxide structure, involves a sol-gel step of allowing a transition metal compound having a bi- or higher dentate chelate ligand to act on a chiral supramolecular crystal of an acid-base complex containing a polymer having a linear polyethyleneimine skeleton and a chiral dicarboxylic acid compound having two carboxyl groups and four or more carbon atoms to form a metal oxide layer on a surface of the chiral supramolecular crystal; and a calcination step of thermally decomposing the organic chiral supramolecular crystal after the sol-gel step to generate a transition metal oxide structure composed of the metal oxide layer prepared with the supramolecular crystal as a template.

Abstract: A method for producing a chiral metal oxide structure, involves a sol-gel step of allowing a transition metal compound having a bi- or higher dentate chelate ligand to act on a chiral supramolecular crystal of an acid-base complex containing a polymer having a linear polyethyleneimine skeleton and a chiral dicarboxylic acid compound having two carboxyl groups and four or more carbon atoms to form a metal oxide layer on a surface of the chiral supramolecular crystal; and a calcination step of thermally decomposing the organic chiral supramolecular crystal after the sol-gel step to generate a transition metal oxide structure composed of the metal oxide layer prepared with the supramolecular crystal as a template.

Abstract: There are provided an infrared absorbing thin film that efficiently absorbs infrared rays and has good versatility by controlling the absorption intensity of titanium oxide in an infrared region and a method for producing the infrared absorbing thin film. The infrared absorbing thin film containing a rutile-type titanium oxide crystal.

Abstract: Provided is a composite including copper nanoparticles or copper(I) oxide nanoparticles and a thioether-containing organic compound represented by X(OCH2CHR1)nOCH2CH(OH)CH2SZ [X represents an alkyl group; R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; n represents an integer of 2 to 100; R1 is independent between repeating units and may be the same or different; and Z represents an alkyl group, an allyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, —R2—OH, —R2—NHR3, or —R2—(COR4)m (where R2 represents a saturated hydrocarbon group; R3 represents a hydrogen atom, an acyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, or a benzyloxycarbonyl group; R4 represents a hydroxy group, an alkyl group, or an alkoxy group; and m represents 1 to 3)].

Abstract: An organic/inorganic composite coating film comprising an inorganic material as a matrix and an organic material combined therewith. The coating film has a regular hollow structure therein, and the coating film surface has a rugged pattern with semispherical protrusions. Also provided is a large-area structural color film obtained by burning the composite coating film. The organic/inorganic composite coating film is obtained by applying an aqueous coating composition comprising a metal alkoxide, an aqueous dispersion of monodisperse polymer particles, and an acid catalyst to a substrate and curing the coating composition. Burning the organic/inorganic composite coating film gives the structural color film.

Abstract: Provided is a composite including copper nanoparticles or copper(I) oxide nanoparticles and a thioether-containing organic compound represented by X(OCH2CHR1)nOCH2CH(OH)CH2SZ [X represents an alkyl group; R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; n represents an integer of 2 to 100; R1 is independent between repeating units and may be the same or different; and Z represents an alkyl group, an allyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, —R2—OH, —R2—NHR3, or —R2—(COR4)m (where R2 represents a saturated hydrocarbon group; R3 represents a hydrogen atom, an acyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, or a benzyloxycarbonyl group; R4 represents a hydroxy group, an alkyl group, or an alkoxy group; and m represents 1 to 3)].

Abstract: Provided are a composite of nanoparticles of a metal such as gold, silver, a platinum metal, or copper, and a polymer, the composite allowing formation of a metal film having a sufficiently low resistivity in terms of practicality simply by drying at room temperature without requiring any special heating-baking step or any step of removing a protective agent with a solvent; a dispersion liquid of the composite; methods for producing the foregoing; and a plastic substrate formed from the dispersion liquid. The composite comprises a (meth)acrylic-based copolymer having, as side chains, a polyethylene glycol chain and a phosphate residue represented by —OP(O)(OH)2 and having, at at least one end of the molecular chain, —SR (where R represents an alkyl group or the like).

Abstract: There are provided an infrared absorbing thin film that efficiently absorbs infrared rays and has good versatility by controlling the absorption intensity of titanium oxide in an infrared region and a method for producing the infrared absorbing thin film. The infrared absorbing thin film containing a rutile-type titanium oxide crystal can be produced through a step of dispersing or dissolving a complex of an amino group-containing basic polymer and a transition metal ion in an aqueous medium; a step of obtaining a composite having a polymer/titania layered structure in which the complex of the amino group-containing basic polymer and the transition metal ion is sandwiched between layers of titania, by mixing the aqueous dispersion with a water-soluble titanium compound in the aqueous medium; a step of calcining the composite in an air atmosphere at a temperature of 650° C.

Abstract: Provided are a composite of nanoparticles of a metal such as gold, silver, a platinum metal, or copper, and a polymer, the composite allowing formation of a metal film having a sufficiently low resistivity in terms of practicality simply by drying at room temperature without requiring any special heating-baking step or any step of removing a protective agent with a solvent; a dispersion liquid of the composite; methods for producing the foregoing; and a plastic substrate formed from the dispersion liquid. When a dispersion liquid of a metal-nanoparticle-containing composite that is prepared by reducing metal ions in an aqueous medium in the presence of a (meth)acrylic-based copolymer having, as side chains, a polyethylene glycol chain and a phosphate residue represented by —OP(O)(OH)2 and having, at at least one end of the molecular chain, —SR (where R represents an alkyl group or the like), is applied to a base material and is then just dried at room temperature, a film having conductivity is formed.

Abstract: A silica nanofiber/metal oxide nanocrystal composite is produced by a method including associating a polymer having a linear polyethyleneimine skeleton in a water-based medium in the presence of ice, adding alkoxysilane to the water-based medium obtained in the above step to form a composite nanofiber including the associate and silica that covers the associate, while the fiber spontaneously forms a disc-shaped network structure, a step of depositing a metal oxide on a surface of the fiber by mixing the disc-shaped structure obtained in the above step with a hydrolyzable metal compound, and a step of calcining the disc-shaped. structure obtained in the step above to form a silica nanofiber through removal of the polymer in the fiber, to convert the metal oxide into a nanocrystal, and to bond the nanocrystal to the fiber. When zinc oxide is used as the metal oxide, the composite functions as a luminous body.

Abstract: The present invention provides a structure in which the surface of a solid substrate of any shape is covered with metal oxide, in particular, a nanostructure composite in which polyethyleneimine, which is an organic substance, and metal oxide, which is an inorganic substance, are combined in nano-meter scale, spreads at the entire surface of a substrate, and the nanostructure composite forms a nano-boundary of complex shapes so as to thoroughly cover the entire surface of the substrate; a structure in which metal ions, metal nano-particles, organic pigment molecules are contained in the nanostructure composite; a process for producing these structures which can produce these structures with ease and efficiently; and an application method for the structures as an immobilized catalyst type reactor.

Abstract: A highly versatile material for mid-infrared filters is provided by precisely controlling the absorption intensity of titanium oxide in an infrared region. A rutile-type titanium oxide crystal is produced by a method including a step (I) of dispersing or dissolving a complex of an amino group-containing basic polymer and a transition metal ion in an aqueous medium, a step (II) of obtaining a composite having a polymer/titania layered structure in which the complex of the amino group-containing basic polymer and the transition metal ion is sandwiched between layers of titania, by causing a hydrolysis reaction between the aqueous dispersion or aqueous solution prepared in the step (I) and a water-soluble titanium compound in the aqueous medium, and a step (III) of calcining the composite having the layered structure in an air atmosphere at a temperature of 650° C.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing a silver-containing nanostructure which can reduce the time required for a post treatment step and the amount of a waste material and which is achieved by the application of the reduction reaction of silver oxide; and a silver-containing nanostructure having a specific structure, which can be produced by the method. Specifically disclosed is a method for producing a silver-containing nanostructure, including dispersing a polymeric compound in which a hydrophilic segment is bonded to a polyalkyleneimine chain in a medium, adding silver oxide thereto, and carrying out a reduction reaction of the silver oxide, thereby obtaining a silver-containing nanostructure. In the method, a structure having a branched structure can be produced when a specific compound is used as a complexing agent. The silver-containing nanostructure thus produced can be used as a conductive paste or the like.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a structural object coated with a superhydrophobic nanostructure composite, the structural object being obtained by densely coating a surface of a solid substrate having a desired shape with a nanostructure obtained by combining a polymer having a polyethyleneimine skeleton with silica on the nanometer order, and bonding a hydrophobic group to the surface of the nanostructure, and a process for producing the structural object. The present invention also relates to a structural object coated with a superhydrophobic nanostructure composite, the structural object being obtained by removing the polymer having the polyethyleneimine skeleton from the nanostructure and bonding a hydrophobic group to the surface of the residual nanostructure containing silica as a main constituent component, and a process for producing the structural object. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method of using the structural object as a container for transferring an aqueous solution.

Abstract: The present invention provides a doped titanium oxide having visible light-responsiveness whose structure is specified, and a simple production method thereof. By burning with heat a layered structure composite laminated alternately with polymer and the titania, which is obtained using basic polymer having amino group(s) and water-soluble titanium compound, carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms in the polymer are, doped to the crystalline surface of titanium oxide. As making the polymer complex with metal ions beforehand, the metal ions can be also doped to the titanium oxide.

Abstract: A process for producing superhydrophobic powders comprising silica as the main component and the surface of the powders have a contact angle with water of 150° or larger; and a structure having a superhydrophobic surface comprising the powders. The process comprised: introducing hydrophobic groups into the silica present in the surface of aggregates of organic/inorganic composite nanofibers obtained by combining a polymer, which is an organic substance, with silica, which is an inorganic substance, on the order of nanometer or into the silica obtained by calcining the organic/inorganic composite nanofibers and removing the polymer there from; and thereby making powders composed of the aggregates superhydrophobic. Also provided is a superhydrophobic powders obtained by the process. The structure having a superhydrophobic surface is obtained by fixing the superhydrophobic powders to a surface of a solid substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a structural object coated with a superhydrophobic nanostructure composite, the structural object being obtained by densely coating a surface of a solid substrate having a desired shape with a nanostructure obtained by combining a polymer having a polyethyleneimine skeleton with silica on the nanometer order, and bonding a hydrophobic group to the surface of the nanostructure, and a process for producing the structural object. The present invention also relates to a structural object coated with a superhydrophobic nanostructure composite, the structural object being obtained by removing the polymer having the polyethyleneimine skeleton from the nanostructure and bonding a hydrophobic group to the surface of the residual nanostructure containing silica as a main constituent component, and a process for producing the structural object. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method of using the structural object as a container for transferring an aqueous solution.

Abstract: The hollow polymer particles of the present invention comprise a shell wall having for a main component thereof a copolymer obtained by polymerizing a monomer group (I) including a radical polymerizable water-soluble monomer (A) and a radical polymerizable water-insoluble monomer (B), and have a thickness of the shell wall of 5 to 80 nm. In addition, in the hollow polymer particle production process of the present invention, a monomer group (I) including a radical polymerizable water-soluble monomer (A) and a radical polymerizable water-insoluble monomer (B) is radical-polymerized using a polymerization initiator in an aqueous medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides a structure in which the surface of a solid substrate of any shape is covered with metal oxide, in particular, a nanostructure composite in which polyethyleneimine, which is an organic substance, and metal oxide, which is an inorganic substance, are combined in nano-meter scale, spreads at the entire surface of a substrate, and the nanostructure composite forms a nano-boundary of complex shapes so as to thoroughly cover the entire surface of the substrate; a structure in which metal ions, metal nano-particles, organic pigment molecules are contained in the nanostructure composite; a process for producing these structures which can produce these structures with ease and efficiently; and an application method for the structures as an immobilized catalyst type reactor.