Abstract: There is provided a method for bonding together hydrogels by interposing a polyalkylene glycol between the gel surfaces to be bonded together of hydrogels. A method for bonding together hydrogels of the same type or different types, the method including: interposing a polyalkylene glycol between gel surfaces to be bonded together of the hydrogels and joining together the gel surfaces.

Abstract: An organic/inorganic composite hydrogel can be prepared only through mixing at a room temperature and that has high modulus of elasticity and a self-supporting property that allows a shape to be maintained in water, and a method produces the hydrogel. A hydrogel forming composition that is capable of forming a hydrogel having a self-supporting property, includes: a water-soluble organic polymer having an organic acid structure, an organic acid salt structure, or an organic acid anion structure; a silicate salt; a dispersant for the silicate salt; and a compound having or generating divalent or higher valent positive charge; a hydrogel formed of the composition, and a method for producing the hydrogel.

Abstract: The magnetic sensor of the invention comprises a base portion, a sensor chip positioned on the base portion, a wiring portion adapted to electrically connect a terminal of the sensor chip to a connecting lead, a resin having a low elastic modulus for coating at least the sensor chip, and a resin having a high elastic modulus for coating at least the low elastic-modulus resin and the wiring portion, wherein the sensor chip includes a magneto-resistive effect device, and the low elastic-modulus resin has an elastic modulus ranging from 10 kPa to 80 MPa while the high elastic-modulus resin has an elastic modulus of 1 GPa or more, and enables the sensor chip to perform well in a good state although having a structure of sealing up the sensor chip with the resin member.

Abstract: There is provided a hydrogel having a self-supporting property that can be produced only through mixing at room temperature, and there is provided a method by which the hydrogel can be manufactured by using industrially easily available raw materials. A hydrogel-forming composition that is capable of forming a hydrogel having a self-supporting property, the hydrogel-forming composition characterized by including: a water-soluble organic polymer having an organic acid salt structure or an organic acid anion structure; a silicate salt; and a dispersant for the silicate salt, having a weight average molecular weight of 200 to 20,000 and having hydrolysis resistance.

Abstract: There is provided a self-supporting hydrogel that can be produced only through mixing at room temperature and that has a high mechanical strength. A hydrogel forming composition that is capable of forming a hydrogel having a self-supporting property, the hydrogel forming composition characterized by including: a water-soluble organic polymer having an organic acid salt structure or an organic acid anion structure; a silicate salt; a dispersant for the silicate salt; and a polyhydric alcohol, and having an extremely high mechanical strength.

Abstract: There is provided a self-supporting hydrogel that can be produced only through mixing at room temperature and that has a high mechanical strength. A hydrogel forming composition that is capable of forming a hydrogel having a self-supporting property, the hydrogel forming composition characterized by including: a water-soluble organic polymer having an organic acid salt structure or an organic acid anion structure; a silicate salt; a dispersant for the silicate salt; and a polyhydric alcohol, and having an extremely high mechanical strength.

Abstract: There is provided a hydrogel having a self-supporting property that can be produced only through mixing at room temperature, and there is provided a method by which the hydrogel can be manufactured by using industrially easily available raw materials. A hydrogel-forming composition that is capable of forming a hydrogel having a self-supporting property, the hydrogel-forming composition characterized by including: a water-soluble organic polymer having an organic acid salt structure or an organic acid anion structure; a silicate salt; and a dispersant for the silicate salt, having a weight average molecular weight of 200 to 20,000 and having hydrolysis resistance.

Abstract: There is provided a method for bonding together hydrogels by interposing a polyalkylene glycol between the gel surfaces to be bonded together of hydrogels. A method for bonding together hydrogels of the same type or different types, the method including: interposing a polyalkylene glycol between gel surfaces to be bonded together of the hydrogels and joining together the gel surfaces.

Abstract: A magnesium battery (10) is constituted of a negative electrode (1), a positive electrode (2) and an electrolyte (3). The negative electrode (1) is formed of metallic magnesium and can also be formed of an alloy. The positive electrode (2) is composed of a positive electrode active material, for example, a metal oxide, graphite fluoride ((CF)n) or the like, etc. The electrolytic solution (3) is, for example, a magnesium ion-containing nonaqueous electrolytic solution prepared by dissolving magnesium(II) chloride (MgCl2) and dimethylaluminum chloride ((CH3)2AlCl) in tetrahydrofuran (THF). In the case of dissolving and depositing magnesium by using this electrolytic solution, the following reaction proceeds in the normal direction or reverse direction.

Abstract: The magnetic sensor of the invention comprises a base portion, a sensor chip positioned on the base portion, a wiring portion adapted to electrically connect a terminal of the sensor chip to a connecting lead, a resin having a low elastic modulus for coating at least the sensor chip, and a resin having a high elastic modulus for coating at least the low elastic-modulus resin and the wiring portion, wherein the sensor chip includes a magneto-resistive effect device, and the low elastic-modulus resin has an elastic modulus ranging from 10 kPa to 80 MPa while the high elastic-modulus resin has an elastic modulus of 1 GPa or more, and enables the sensor chip to perform well in a good state although having a structure of sealing up the sensor chip with the resin member.

Abstract: A cathode includes a lithium transition metal complex compound including lithium, one, or two or more transition metals, magnesium, and oxygen as constituent elements. In a standardized X-ray absorption spectrum of the lithium transition metal complex compound measured by an X-ray absorption spectroscopic method, a first absorption edge having absorption edge energy E1 in X-ray absorption intensity of about 0.5 exits in a range where X-ray energy is from about 1303 eV to about 1313 eV both inclusive, in a discharged state in which a discharge voltage is about 3.0 V, and a second absorption edge having absorption edge energy E2 in X-ray absorption intensity of about 0.5 exits, in a charged state in which a charge voltage V is from about 4.3 V to about 4.5 V both inclusive. The absorption edge energies E1 and E2 and the charge voltage V satisfy a relation of E2?E1?(V?4.25)×4.

Abstract: In one example embodiment, a core-shell type platinum-containing catalyst is allowed to reduce the amount of used platinum and has high catalytic activity and stability. In one example embodiment, the core-shell type platinum-containing catalyst includes a core particle (with an average particle diameter R1) made of a non-platinum element and a platinum shell layer (with an average thickness ts) satisfying 1.4 nm?R1?3.5 nm and 0.25 nm?ts?0.9 nm. The core particle includes an element satisfying Eout?3.0 eV, where average binding energy relative to the Fermi level of 5d orbital electrons of platinum present on an outermost surface of the shell layer is Eout. In a fuel cell including a platinum-containing catalyst which contains a Ru particle as a core particle, the output density at a current density of 300 mA/cm2 is 70 mW/cm2 or over, and an output retention ratio is approximately 90% or over.

Abstract: A positive electrode active material includes: a secondary particle obtained upon aggregation of a primary particle that is a lithium complex oxide particle in which at least nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co) are solid-solved as transition metals, wherein an average composition of the whole of the secondary particle is represented by the following formula (1): LixCoyNizM1-y-zOb-aXa ??Formula (1) wherein an existent amount of cobalt (Co) becomes large from a center of the primary particle toward the surface thereof; and an existent amount of cobalt (Co) in the primary particle existing in the vicinity of the surface of the secondary particle is larger than an existent amount of cobalt (Co) in the primary particle existing in the vicinity of the center of the secondary particle.

Abstract: A cathode includes a lithium transition metal complex compound including lithium, one, or two or more transition metals, magnesium, and oxygen as constituent elements. In a standardized X-ray absorption spectrum of the lithium transition metal complex compound measured by an X-ray absorption spectroscopic method, a first absorption edge having absorption edge energy E1 in X-ray absorption intensity of about 0.5 exits in a range where X-ray energy is from about 1303 eV to about 1313 eV both inclusive, in a discharged state in which a discharge voltage is about 3.0 V, and a second absorption edge having absorption edge energy E2 in X-ray absorption intensity of about 0.5 exits, in a charged state in which a charge voltage V is from about 4.3 V to about 4.5 V both inclusive. The absorption edge energies E1 and E2 and the charge voltage V satisfy a relation of E2?E1?(V?4.25)×4.

Abstract: A battery is composed of a positive electrode in which a positive electrode active material layer including a positive electrode active material is formed on a positive electrode collector, a negative electrode in which a negative electrode active material layer including a negative electrode active material is formed on a negative electrode collector, a separator provided between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and an electrolyte impregnated in the separator. The battery further includes at least one of a heteropoly acid and a heteropoly acid compound as an additive at least in one of the positive electrode, the negative electrode, the separator, and the electrolyte.

Abstract: A platinum-containing catalyst that is able to optimize state density of platinum 5d vacant orbital and is able to improve catalyst activity and a fuel cell using the same are provided. In the platinum-containing catalyst, when ratio of a peak intensity of a PtLIII absorption edge of a normalized X-ray absorption spectrum of the platinum-containing catalyst with respect to a peak intensity of a PtLIII absorption edge of a normalized X-ray absorption spectrum of a platinum simple substance metal foil having a thickness of 10 ?m is Y, the number of holes of a platinum 5d vacant orbital in the platinum simple substance metal foil is 0.3, the number of holes of a platinum 5d vacant orbital in the platinum-containing catalyst is N, and molar ratio of total of metal elements other than platinum to the platinum in the platinum-containing catalyst is X, Y=0.144X+1.060 is established in the range of 0.1?X?1, and N=0.030X+0.333 is established in the range of 0.1?X?1.

Abstract: A positive electrode active material includes: a secondary particle obtained upon aggregation of a primary particle that is a lithium complex oxide particle in which at least nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co) are solid-solved as transition metals, wherein an average composition of the whole of the secondary particle is represented by the following formula (1): LixCoyNizM1-y-zOb-aXa ??Formula (1) wherein an existent amount of cobalt (Co) becomes large from a center of the primary particle toward the surface thereof; and an existent amount of cobalt (Co) in the primary particle existing in the vicinity of the surface of the secondary particle is larger than an existent amount of cobalt (Co) in the primary particle existing in the vicinity of the center of the secondary particle.

Abstract: A core-shell type platinum-containing catalyst being allowed to reduce the amount of used platinum and having high catalytic activity and stability and a method of producing the same, an electrode and an electrochemical device are provided. The platinum-containing catalyst includes: metal particles each including a core particle including a metal atom except for platinum or an alloy of a metal atom except for platinum and a shell layer, including platinum on a surface of the core particle, the metal particles being supported by a conductive carrier and satisfying 0.25 nm?ts?0.9 nm and 1.4 nm?R1?3.5 nm, where an average thickness of the shell layer is ts and an average particle diameter of the core particle is R1.

Abstract: In one example embodiment, a core-shell type platinum-containing catalyst is allowed to reduce the amount of used platinum and has high catalytic activity and stability. In one example embodiment, the core-shell type platinum-containing catalyst includes a core particle (with an average particle diameter R1) made of a non-platinum element and a platinum shell layer (with an average thickness ts) satisfying 1.4 nm?R1?3.5 nm and 0.25 nm?ts?0.9 nm. The core particle includes an element satisfying Eout?3.0 eV, where average binding energy relative to the Fermi level of 5d orbital electrons of platinum present on an outermost surface of the shell layer is Eout. In a fuel cell including a platinum-containing catalyst which contains a Ru particle as a core particle, the output density at a current density of 300 mA/cm2 is 70 mW/cm2 or over, and an output retention ratio is approximately 90% or over.

Abstract: There is provided a novel method for producing an optically active succinimide compound which is a useful compound utilized as an intermediate raw material for pharmaceutical products or the like. The method for producing an optically active succinimide compound of formula (2) comprises processing a racemic compound of a succinimide compound of formula (1) in the presence of a hydrolase to selectively hydrolyze one of the enantiomers, and subjecting to a post-treatment.