A transparent body production method that includes subjecting the compound represented by formula (1) to heating at a temperature equal to or greater than the melting point of said compound. In formula (1), each of W.sup.1 and W.sup.2 is the group represented by formula (2) in which the ring Z is an aromatic hydrocarbon ring, X is a single bond or —S—, R.sup.1 is a single bond or an alkylene group having 1-4 carbon atoms, R.sup.2 is a specific substituent, and m is an integer of 0 or higher, the group represented by formula (4) is —OH— or a (meth)acryloyloxy group, each of the rings Y.sup.1 and Y.sup.2 is an aromatic hydrocarbon ring, R is a single bond or a specific divalent group, each of R.sup.3a and R.sup.3b is —CN, a halogen group, or a monovalent hydrocarbon group, and each of n1 and n2 is an integer of 0-4.

A transparent body production method that includes subjecting the compound represented by formula (1) to heating at a temperature equal to or greater than the melting point of said compound. In formula (1), each of W.sup.1 and W.sup.2 is the group represented by formula (2) in which the ring Z is an aromatic hydrocarbon ring, X is a single bond or —S—, R.sup.1 is a single bond or an alkylene group having 1-4 carbon atoms, R.sup.2 is a specific substituent, and m is an integer of 0 or higher, the group represented by formula (4) is —OH— or a (meth)acryloyloxy group, each of the rings Y.sup.1 and Y.sup.2 is an aromatic hydrocarbon ring, R is a single bond or a specific divalent group, each of R.sup.3a and R.sup.3b is —CN, a halogen group, or a monovalent hydrocarbon group, and each of n1 and n2 is an integer of 0-4.

Temperature-responsive poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and a preparation method thereof are disclosed. In the preparation method, with a system consisting of benzoyl peroxide (BPO) (an oxidant) and 2-methyl-N-[3-(methyl-phenyl-amino)-propyl]-acrylamide (MPAEMA) or 2-methyl-N-[3-(methyl-phenyl-amino)-propyl]-propionamide (MEMA) (a reducing agent monomer) as a redox initiation system, water and toluene as media, a nonionic surfactant as an emulsifier, and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) as a polymerization monomer, polymerization is conducted at room temperature and atmospheric pressure to obtain the PHEMA. An alcohol solution of the PHEMA has an upper critical solution temperature (UCST). The method has the advantages of simple and stable polymerization system, low polymerization cost, easy operation, mild conditions, small impact on the environment, and low energy consumption. Moreover, a molecular weight and UCST of a product are controllable within a specified range.

Temperature-responsive poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and a preparation method thereof are disclosed. In the preparation method, with a system consisting of benzoyl peroxide (BPO) (an oxidant) and 2-methyl-N-[3-(methyl-phenyl-amino)-propyl]-acrylamide (MPAEMA) or 2-methyl-N-[3-(methyl-phenyl-amino)-propyl]-propionamide (MEMA) (a reducing agent monomer) as a redox initiation system, water and toluene as media, a nonionic surfactant as an emulsifier, and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) as a polymerization monomer, polymerization is conducted at room temperature and atmospheric pressure to obtain the PHEMA. An alcohol solution of the PHEMA has an upper critical solution temperature (UCST). The method has the advantages of simple and stable polymerization system, low polymerization cost, easy operation, mild conditions, small impact on the environment, and low energy consumption. Moreover, a molecular weight and UCST of a product are controllable within a specified range.

Provided is a developing device including: a toner; and a developer carrying member. The developer carrying member includes an electroconductive substrate and a surface layer on the substrate, the surface layer being a single layer and including a matrix containing a crosslinked urethane resin as a binder, wherein E1≥200 MPa and 10 MPa≤E2≤100 MPa, where E1 is an elastic modulus of the matrix in a first region from an outer surface of the surface layer to a depth of 0.1 and E2 is an elastic modulus of the matrix in a second region from a depth of 1.0 to 1.1 μm from the outer surface. The toner includes a toner particle containing a binder resin and a colorant and having a Martens hardness of 85 to 1,100 MPa when measured under a condition of a maximum load of 2.0×10.sup.−4 N.

The present application describes a microcapsule comprising: (i) a lipophilic core material, and (ii) a microcapsule shell, wherein microcapsule shell formed from oil-in-water emulsion polymerisation of monomer mixture consisting essentially of: (a) greater than 70 to about 99% by weight of at least one polyfunctional ethylenically unsaturated monomer, (b) about 1 to about 30% by weight of at least one unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer or its ester, and (c) about 0 to about 30% by weight of at least one vinyl monomer. Also provides process for preparing the same and its method of use in various applications.

The present application describes a microcapsule comprising: (i) a lipophilic core material, and (ii) a microcapsule shell, wherein microcapsule shell formed from oil-in-water emulsion polymerisation of monomer mixture consisting essentially of: (a) greater than 70 to about 99% by weight of at least one polyfunctional ethylenically unsaturated monomer, (b) about 1 to about 30% by weight of at least one unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer or its ester, and (c) about 0 to about 30% by weight of at least one vinyl monomer. Also provides process for preparing the same and its method of use in various applications.

Provided is an optically anisotropic layer having an excellent surface condition, with which an image display device having an excellent contrast can be manufactured; and an optical film, a polarizing plate, and an image display device, each having the optically anisotropic layer. The optically anisotropic layer is obtained by immobilizing a polymerizable liquid crystal composition including a polymerizable rod-shaped liquid crystal compound exhibiting a liquid crystal state of a smectic phase and an additive in a liquid crystal state of a smectic phase, in which a molecular length A (Å) of the polymerizable rod-shaped liquid crystal compound, a layer interval B (Å) of the smectic phase of the optically anisotropic layer, and a molecular length C (Å) of the additive satisfy a relationship of Expression (1-1), 0.5×B≤C≤0.6×A . . . (1-1).

A thermosetting composition for use as an underfill material contains: a mono- or bifunctional acrylic compound; a thermo-radical polymerization initiator; silica; and an elastomer including a 1,2-vinyl group. The thermosetting composition is liquid and has a property of turning, when cured thermally, into a cured product having a relative dielectric constant of 3.2 or less at 25° C. and a dielectric loss tangent of 0.013 or less at 25° C.

Provided is means capable of reducing the adsorptivity to plastics while suppressing a decrease in intracellular uptake efficiency in an amphiphilic compound that can be applied to long-term blood-retaining liposomes or the like as a drug carrier. The above problem can be solved by an amphiphilic compound comprising a moiety (I) including a constitutional unit (A) derived from a monomer (a) having two or more hydroxyl groups and having 2 to 10 carbon atoms constituting the side chain among the carbon atoms of the constitutional unit, and a hydrocarbon group having 8 or more carbon atoms.