An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (5-HMF) suitable for industrial-scale production and a novel catalyst composition for use in synthesizing 5-HMF. The present invention provides a method for producing 5-HMF comprising performing a dehydration reaction of a carbohydrate comprising a hexose as a constituent sugar or a derivative thereof by using activated carbon as a catalyst; and a catalyst composition for use in the reaction for producing 5-HMF from a carbohydrate comprising a hexose as a constituent sugar through a dehydration reaction, the catalyst composition comprising activated carbon.

There is provided a composition for forming a novel resist underlayer film that has a high dry etching rate, functions as an anti-reflective coating during exposure, and fills a recess having a narrow space and a high aspect ratio.

A composition for forming a resist underlayer film comprising a copolymer having a structural unit of the following formula (1), a cross-linkable compound, a cross-linking catalyst, and a solvent.

##STR00001##

(wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each independently a C.sub.1-3 alkylene group or a single bond, Z is an O group, a S group, or a SS group, and Ar is an arylene group.)

There is provided a composition for forming a novel resist underlayer film that has a high dry etching rate, functions as an anti-reflective coating during exposure, and fills a recess having a narrow space and a high aspect ratio.

A composition for forming a resist underlayer film comprising a copolymer having a structural unit of the following formula (1), a cross-linkable compound, a cross-linking catalyst, and a solvent.

##STR00001##

(wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each independently a C.sub.1-3 alkylene group or a single bond, Z is an O group, a S group, or a SS group, and Ar is an arylene group.)

In various embodiments, the present invention relates to a series 3D printable, biodegradable, poly(propylene fumarate) derivative ABA type triblock copolymers having a flexible propylene succinate core unit synthesized through ring-opening copolymerization using a Mg(BHT).sub.2(THF).sub.2 catalyst followed by isomerization. 3D printing utilizing thiol-ene chemistry yield precise structure with improved build time. 3D printed products are fully degraded in hydrolytic conditions and the mechanical properties and degradation rate can be tailored by the polymer composition and resin formulation.

In various embodiments, the present invention relates to a series 3D printable, biodegradable, poly(propylene fumarate) derivative ABA type triblock copolymers having a flexible propylene succinate core unit synthesized through ring-opening copolymerization using a Mg(BHT).sub.2(THF).sub.2 catalyst followed by isomerization. 3D printing utilizing thiol-ene chemistry yield precise structure with improved build time. 3D printed products are fully degraded in hydrolytic conditions and the mechanical properties and degradation rate can be tailored by the polymer composition and resin formulation.

A polyester copolymer useful for food and beverage container coatings is disclosed. The copolymer is derived from ingredients including at least a diepoxide, such as a diglycidyl ether, and a glass transition increasing monomer, such as a pentaspiroglycol. In some approaches, the polyester copolymer is derived from reaction of a polyester prepolymer and a diepoxide resin.

The present invention provides a resist underlayer film that has a wide focus position range within which a good resist shape can be obtained. A resist underlayer film-forming composition for lithography comprising a linear polymer that is obtained by a reaction of a diepoxy group-containing compound (A) with a dicarboxyl group-containing compound (B). The linear polymer has structures of the following formulae (1), (2), and (3) derived from the diepoxy group-containing compound (A) or the dicarboxyl group-containing compound (B): ##STR00001##
The linear polymer preferably contains a polymer obtained by a reaction of two diepoxy group-containing compounds (A) each having structures of Formulae (1) and (2) with a dicarboxyl group-containing compound (B) having a structure of Formula (3), or a polymer obtained by a reaction of a diepoxy group-containing compound (A) having a structure of Formula (1) with two dicarboxyl group-containing compounds (B) each having structures of Formulae (2) and (3).

The present application is directed to a method for preparing a cyclic carbonate functional polyester, said method comprising the stages of (A) reacting glycerine carbonate with an anhydride to form an Adduct (A), (B) reacting said Adduct (A) with at least one polyepoxide compound to form an Adduct (B), and (C) reacting said Adduct (B) with at least one polycarboxylic acid to form said cyclic carbonate functional polyester.

The present application is directed to a method for preparing a cyclic carbonate functional polyester, said method comprising the stages of (A) reacting glycerine carbonate with an anhydride to form an Adduct (A), (B) reacting said Adduct (A) with at least one polyepoxide compound to form an Adduct (B), and (C) reacting said Adduct (B) with at least one polycarboxylic acid to form said cyclic carbonate functional polyester.

In various embodiments, the present invention is directed to a PPF-based copolymer for 3D printing applications and methods for its making and use. These copolymers have a viscosity in a printable viscosity range and allow light transmittance at curing wavelengths. In various embodiments, a lower viscosity copolymers are obtained by substitution of a portion of maleic anhydride with succinic anhydride and then forming a poly(propylene fumarate-co-succinate) copolymer by the copolymerization of maleic anhydride and succinic anhydride with propylene oxide via Mg(BHT).sub.2(THF).sub.2 catalyzed ring opening copolymerization (ROCOP). Because of their lower viscosities, these copolymers require less, if any, diethyl fumarate (DEF) to prepare the 3D printing resin, while the mechanical properties can still be adjusted as with a PPF polymer prepared without the succinic anhydride.