Amines and amine derivatives that improve the buffering range, and/or reduce the chelation and other negative interactions of the buffer and the system to be buffered. The reaction of amines or polyamines with various molecules to form polyamines with differing pKa's will extend the buffering range, derivatives that result in polyamines that have the same pKa yields a greater buffering capacity. Derivatives that result in zwitterionic buffers improve yield by allowing a greater range of stability.

According to this method, a fatty acid of CnH.sub.2nO.sub.2 (n=5 to 14) is mixed with a plurality of metal sources selected from Zn, In, Sn, Sb, and Al, thereby fatty acid metal salts are obtained, subsequently the fatty acid metal salts are heated at 130° C. to 250° C., and a metal soap that is a precursor is obtained. This precursor is heated at 200° C. to 350° C., and metal oxide primary particles are dispersed in the precursor melt. To this dispersion liquid, a washing solvent having a δP value higher by 5 to 12 than the δP value of the Hansen solubility parameter of the final dispersing solvent is added, thereby the metal oxide primary particles are washed and agglomerated, metal oxide secondary particles are obtained, and then washing is repeated.

An object is to measure absorbance of aqueous cosmetic materials that have not heretofore been studied for absorbance measurement, and particularly to form a uniform layer of thin film in order to ensure accurate measurement without causing these aqueous cosmetic materials, which are O/W emulsions, to undergo phase separation during measurement. As a means for achieving the foregoing, an absorbance measurement method is provided, wherein an absorbent aqueous composition is applied on the surface of a substrate, which surface has been plasma treated, arc-discharge treated, or corona-discharge treated, to achieve a contact angle with pure water of 0 to 70.0 degrees, and the applied absorbent aqueous composition is measured for absorbance.

An object is to measure absorbance of aqueous cosmetic materials that have not heretofore been studied for absorbance measurement, and particularly to form a uniform layer of thin film in order to ensure accurate measurement without causing these aqueous cosmetic materials, which are O/W emulsions, to undergo phase separation during measurement. As a means for achieving the foregoing, an absorbance measurement method is provided, wherein an absorbent aqueous composition is applied on the surface of a substrate, which surface has been plasma treated, arc-discharge treated, or corona-discharge treated, to achieve a contact angle with pure water of 0 to 70.0 degrees, and the applied absorbent aqueous composition is measured for absorbance.

A composition includes two or more near infrared absorbing compounds having an absorption maximum in a wavelength range of 650 to 1000 nm and having a solubility of 0.1 mass % or lower in water at 23° C., in which the two or more near infrared absorbing compounds include a first near infrared absorbing compound having an absorption maximum in a wavelength range of 650 to 1000 nm, and a second near infrared absorbing compound having an absorption maximum in a wavelength range of 650 to 1000 nm which is shorter than the absorption maximum of the first near infrared absorbing compound, and a difference between the absorption maximum of the first near infrared absorbing compound and the absorption maximum of the second near infrared absorbing compound is 1 to 150 nm.

A squarylium dye [A] that has high invisibility, i.e., exhibits low absorption in the visible light region (400 nm to 750 nm), has excellent near-infrared absorption capability and high light resistance, tends not to exhibit aggregations, and has specific X-ray diffraction peaks; and an image-forming material and the like containing the squarylium dye [A] having said characteristics. The problem is solved by a squarylium dye [A] having specific X-ray diffraction peaks represented by general formula (1). Moreover, the problem is also solved by various materials containing the squarylium dye [A].

A composition includes a near infrared absorbing pigment and a solvent, in which the near infrared absorbing pigment is at least one selected from a colorant compound which has a cation and an anion in the same molecule, a colorant compound which is a salt of a cationic chromophore and a counter anion, and a colorant compound which is a salt of an anionic chromophore and a counter cation, a D50 particle size in which a cumulative volume in a particle size distribution of particle sizes of the near infrared absorbing pigment is 50% is 100 nm or lower, and d values of Hansen solubility parameters of the near infrared absorbing pigment and the solvent satisfy a predetermined expression.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a thickener that can increase the viscosity of a composition with suppressing stickiness and maintaining use feeling in the case of applying the composition on the skin or the like, since the thickener does not contain a polymer thickener or the content amount of a polymer thickener is small. The thickener according to the present invention is characterized in comprising a phospholipid, a biosurfactant, and a 1,2-diol compound represented by the following formula (I):

HO—CH.sub.2—CH(OH)—R.sup.1   (I)

wherein R.sup.1 is a hydrocarbon group having a carbon number of 5 or more and 12 or less.

Described herein are compositions and methods relating to molecular cerium-oxide nanoclusters. Described herein are methods of producing cerium-oxide nanoclusters. Described herein are cerium-oxide nanoclusters. Further described herein are cerium-oxide nanoclusters produced by methods as described herein. Methods as described herein can comprise providing a first cerium source, an organic acid, and a solvent; and mixing the cerium source and the organic acid in the presence of a solvent to create a reaction mixture at a temperature and a pressure for a period of time to create a composition of molecular cerium-oxide nanoclusters containing a plurality of molecular cerium-oxide nanoclusters.

The invention relates to an ultrafine bubble (UFB) generator and a method for generating UFB. The invention also provides an ultrafine bubble-containing liquid and a production method of the liquid. An ultrafine bubble generator is prepared by combining (A) a sophorolipid containing acidic sophorolipid and lactonic sophorolipid in a ratio (mass ratio) of 78:22 to 100:0, (B) a free fatty acid or salt thereof, and (C) a gas generation component.