Abstract: There are provided a third-order nonlinear optical material comprising a film formed on the surface of a transparent substrate and consisting essentially of an oxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu; and a third-order nonlinear optical material of the type as described above wherein the film additionally contains a metal selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag and Cu in the form of particles dispersed therein and having a particle size of at most 500 nm.

Abstract: There are provided a third-order nonlinear optical material comprising a film formed on the surface of a transparent substrate and consisting essentially of an oxide of a metal selected from the group consisting of V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu; and a third-order nonlinear optical material of the type as described above wherein the film additionally contains a metal selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag and Cu in the form of particles dispersed therein and having a particle size of at most 500 nm.

Abstract: There is provided a process for preparing a ferromagnetic material, wherein at least 2 kinds of paramagnetic compounds preferably organic paramagnetic compounds, capable of manifesting a so-called mesophase between a solid phase, and a liquid phase are mixed with each other in a liquid phase or mesophase state. Preferred paramagnetic compounds are compounds containing a paramagnetic metal complex moiety in the molecular skeleton thereof, and a preferred complex moiety is a porphyrin complex. Preferred metal nuclei are Cu, V, Co, Mo, Ag, and Fe. The planes of the molecules of each of the paramagnetic metal porphyrin complexes in a mesophase thereof are oriented in parallel with each other on a time-average basis.

Abstract: A process for preparing a low-molecular weight chitosan which comprises adding chitosan to water containing a monobasic acid to prepare an intimate chitosan-water mixture and treating said mixture with cellulase.

Abstract: Disclosed are polymers of metal salts of itaconic acid monoester and copolymers of the said metal salts with vinyl monomer, having excellent optical properties such as high refractive index and transparency. The polymers and copolymers are obtained by irradiating with radioactive rays a polymerizable ingredient which is one member selected from the group consisting of (1) one metal salt of itaconic acid monoester, (2) a mixture of two or more metal salts of itaconic acid monoester and (3) a mixture of at least one metal salt of itaconic acid monoester with vinyl monomer. Further, a polymerizable ingredient prepared by adding to the aforementioned polymerizable ingredient a polymerization catalyst is subjected to thermal treatment to produce a polymer.

Abstract: Hydrophilic polymer membranes useful as semi-permeable membranes or ultrater membranes, are manufactured by forming a film from an aqueous solution containing polyvinyl alcohol and a chitosan salt and then subjecting the film to an alkali treatment.