An infrared absorption composition includes a p-type semiconductor compound including a first structural unit represented by Chemical Formula 1 and a second structural unit including an electron donating moiety; and an n-type semiconductor compound represented by Chemical Formula 2:

##STR00001## wherein, in Chemical Formula 1, Ar.sup.1, X, R.sup.1a, and R.sup.2a are the same as defined in the detailed description. In Chemical Formula 2, A.sup.1, A.sup.2, D.sup.1, D.sup.2, and D.sup.3 are the same as defined in the detailed description.

A method for preparing a hydrogel includes forming a pre-gel comprising polymer and metal salt particles, unidirectionally-shrinking and dehydrating the pre-gel, and impregnating the unidirectionally shrunk and dehydrated pre-gel with an ion solution to crosslink and rehydrate the unidirectionally shrunk and dehydrated pre-gel to produce the hydrogel.

A random copolymer comprising the monomer units A and B. In this random copolymer A comprises ##STR00001##
and B comprises ##STR00002##
Additionally, R1 R2, R3 and R4 are side chains independently selected from the group consisting of: H, Cl, F, CN, alkyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, ester, ketone and aryl groups. X1 and X2 are independently selected from the group consisting of: H, Cl, F, CN, alkyl, alkoxy, ester, ketone, amide and aryl groups.

A conductive polymer composition containing: a composite containing a π-conjugated polymer (A) and a polymer (B) shown by the following general formula (2); H.sub.2O (D) for dispersing the composite; and a water-soluble organic solvent (C). This provides a composition which has favorable filterability and film formability, and which is capable of relieving acidity and forming a conductive film with high transparency. Moreover, since the H.sub.2O dispersion of the conductive polymer compound is mixed with an organic solvent, the surface tension and the contact angle are so low that leveling property on a substrate is imparted. The composition is usable in droplet-coating methods. Since an organic solvent having a higher boiling point than H.sub.2O is used as the organic solvent, the composition can avoid solid content precipitation around a nozzle and solid content precipitation due to drying between ejecting the liquid material from a nozzle tip and landing on a substrate.

##STR00001##

The present invention provides a thermally expandable microcapsule that has excellent heat resistance and compression resistance and that enables the production of a foam molded article that is less likely to undergo deterioration or appearance defects over a long period of time, as well as a foamable masterbatch and a foam molded article each produced using the thermally expandable microcapsule. Provided is a thermally expandable microcapsule including a shell and a volatile expansion agent as a core agent encapsulated by the shell, the shell containing a black material and a polymer compound.

A composition comprising

##STR00001##

In this composition Ar1 is independently selected from the group consisting of:

##STR00002##

and Ar2 is selected from

##STR00003##

Additionally in this composition, R.sub.1, R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7, R.sub.8, R.sub.9, R.sub.11, and R.sub.12 are independently selected from F, Cl, H, unsubstituted or substituted branched alkyls with 1 to 60 carbon atoms, and unsubstituted or substituted linear alkyls with 1 to 60 carbon atoms; and the compositional ratio of x/y ranges from about 1/99 to about 99/1, and n ranges from 1 to 1,000,000.

A method of reacting

##STR00001##

with

##STR00002##

to produce

##STR00003##

In this method Y.sub.1 and Y.sub.2 are independently selected from the group consisting of: H, Cl, Br, I, and combinations thereof. Additionally in this method M is selected from the group consisting of H, trialkylstannane, boronate, or ZnX, wherein X is Cl, Br, or I. Furthermore in this method Z is a divalent linking group selected from the group consisting of:

##STR00004##

Lastly, in this method R.sub.1 is selected from: H, unsubstituted or substituted branched alkyls with 1 to 60 carbon atoms or unsubstituted or substituted linear alkyls with 1 to 60 carbon atoms.

A composition for forming an electroactive coating includes an acid as a polymerization catalyst, at least one functional component, and at least one compound of formula (1) as a monomer: ##STR00001##
wherein X is selected from S, O, Se, Te, PR.sup.2 and NR.sup.2, Y is hydrogen (H) or a precursor of a good leaving group Y.sup.− whose conjugate acid (HY) has a pK.sub.a of less than 45, Z is hydrogen (H), silyl, or a good leaving group whose conjugate acid (HY) has a pK.sub.a of less than 45, b is 0, 1 or 2, each R.sup.1 is a substituent, and the at least one compound of formula (1) includes at least one compound of formula (1) with Z═H and Y≠H.

A novel dopant according to the present disclosure includes an anion represented by the following Formula (1) and a counter cation. In Formula (1), R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may be each at least one group selected from a nitro group, a cyano group, an acyl group, a carboxyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, a haloalkyl group, a sulfo group, an alkylsulfonyl group, an halosulfonyl group, and a haloalkylsulfonyl group, or may be a group formed by R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 bonded to each other [—SO.sub.2-L-SO.sub.2—] (where L represents a haloalkylene group). The counter cation may be a radical cation represented by Formula (2), where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 represent electron-withdrawing groups that may be bonded to each other to form a heterocycle, and R.sup.3 to R.sup.5 represent a hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon group that may have a substituent, or a heterocyclic group that may have a substituent. The dopant is capable of forming an electroconductive composition that shows a high conductivity.

An object is to obtain a composition capable of: forming a uniform film even by spray coating or even when the composition is applied in the form of ink for inkjet printing; and preventing light emission from a portion other than an ITO electrode surface when the film is mounted on an organic EL device and light is emitted from the device. A conductive polymer composition contains: a composite containing a π-conjugated polymer (A) and a polymer (B) shown by a general formula (1); H.sub.2O (D) for dispersing the composite; a water-soluble organic solvent (C); and a compound (E) shown by a general formula (2). The electric conductivity of a film with a thickness of 20 to 200 nm formed from the conductive polymer composition is less than 1.00E-05 S/cm.

##STR00001##