Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are materials exhibiting molecular recognition of a target molecule. MIPs are synthesized in the presence of an aflatoxin template, a mimic to the targeted molecule, used as an imprint that is further washed away with suitable solvent after completion of the polymerization process, leaving a cavity in the polymer of the same stereochemistry, functionality and morphology to the template. When the MIP encounters an aflatoxin, the molecule is bound in the cavity with a receptor-like affinity.

A polyimide precursor solution contains: an aqueous solvent containing water; particles; and a polyimide precursor, wherein the polyimide precursor has a high molecular weight region A containing a high molecular weight side maximum value and a low molecular weight region B containing a low molecular weight side maximum value in an elution curve obtained by gel permeation chromatography, a weight average molecular weight in the high molecular weight region A is 50,000 or more, a weight average molecular weight in the low molecular weight region B is 10,000 or more and 30,000 or less, and a value of a/(a+b) is 0.60 or more and 0.98 or less in which a represents an area of the high molecular weight region A and b represents an area of the low molecular weight region B.

A polyimide precursor solution contains: an aqueous solvent containing water; particles; and a polyimide precursor, wherein the polyimide precursor has a high molecular weight region A containing a high molecular weight side maximum value and a low molecular weight region B containing a low molecular weight side maximum value in an elution curve obtained by gel permeation chromatography, a weight average molecular weight in the high molecular weight region A is 50,000 or more, a weight average molecular weight in the low molecular weight region B is 10,000 or more and 30,000 or less, and a value of a/(a+b) is 0.60 or more and 0.98 or less in which a represents an area of the high molecular weight region A and b represents an area of the low molecular weight region B.

The present invention provides vinyl-based resin particles capable of easily smoothing the surface of a thermosetting resin film when the particles are used as a pore-forming material for a thermosetting resin. Specifically, the present invention provides vinyl-based resin particles for use in making a thermosetting resin porous, the particles having a temperature of 230? C. or higher and lower than 300? C. at 10% mass loss when heated at a rate of 10? C./min in an air atmosphere, and the particles having a mass loss percentage of 85 to 100% after being heated at 350? C. for 5 hours in an air atmosphere.

Freestanding porous polyethylene thin film, and a method for preparing a freestanding porous polyethylene thin film. The method includes dissolving polyethylene in an organic solvent to form a solution under reflux conditions; adding a swellable pocket forming agent to the solution and mixing the solution until the swellable pocket forming agent is well-dispersed therein; applying the well-dispersed solution onto a solid substrate through spin coating to form a thin film on the solid substrate; peeling the thin film off the solid substrate; and extracting the swellable pocket forming agent from the peeled thin film by washing the peeled thin film in water, thereby obtaining a freestanding porous polyethylene thin film with swellable pockets, macro-voids, and micropores. The freestanding porous polyethylene thin film can be used as an oil sorbent. The freestanding porous polyethylene thin film has about 500 to about 800 swellable cavities per cm.sup.2.

Freestanding porous polyethylene thin film, and a method for preparing a freestanding porous polyethylene thin film. The method includes dissolving polyethylene in an organic solvent to form a solution under reflux conditions; adding a swellable pocket forming agent to the solution and mixing the solution until the swellable pocket forming agent is well-dispersed therein; applying the well-dispersed solution onto a solid substrate through spin coating to form a thin film on the solid substrate; peeling the thin film off the solid substrate; and extracting the swellable pocket forming agent from the peeled thin film by washing the peeled thin film in water, thereby obtaining a freestanding porous polyethylene thin film with swellable pockets, macro-voids, and micropores. The freestanding porous polyethylene thin film can be used as an oil sorbent. The freestanding porous polyethylene thin film has about 500 to about 800 swellable cavities per cm.sup.2.

The present application offers a solution to the current problems associated with recovery and recycling of precious metals from scrap material, discard articles, and other items comprising one or more precious metals. The solution is premised on a microporous chelating polymeric membrane. Embodiments include, but are not limited to, microporous chelating polymeric membranes, device comprising the membranes, and methods of using and making the same.

The present application offers a solution to the current problems associated with recovery and recycling of precious metals from scrap material, discard articles, and other items comprising one or more precious metals. The solution is premised on a microporous chelating polymeric membrane. Embodiments include, but are not limited to, microporous chelating polymeric membranes, device comprising the membranes, and methods of using and making the same.

A mesoporous organic material which makes it possible to extract, using the liquid-solid extraction technique, the uranium(VI) contained in an aqueous medium including phosphoric acid, with high efficiency and high selectivity for the iron that the medium can likewise contain. The material is likely to be obtained by cross-linking polymerisation of a monomer of formula (I) below, wherein: R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are, independently from one another, H, a C.sub.1 to C.sub.12 saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched hydrocarbon group, or a polymerisable group, with the condition that at least one of R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 is a polymerisable group; R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are, independently from one another, H or a C.sub.1 to C.sub.8 saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched hydrocarbon group; the cross-linking polymerisation being carried out in the presence of a cross-linking agent and one or more pore-forming agents.

A mesoporous organic material which makes it possible to extract, using the liquid-solid extraction technique, the uranium(VI) contained in an aqueous medium including phosphoric acid, with high efficiency and high selectivity for the iron that the medium can likewise contain. The material is likely to be obtained by cross-linking polymerisation of a monomer of formula (I) below, wherein: R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are, independently from one another, H, a C.sub.1 to C.sub.12 saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched hydrocarbon group, or a polymerisable group, with the condition that at least one of R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 is a polymerisable group; R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are, independently from one another, H or a C.sub.1 to C.sub.8 saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched hydrocarbon group; the cross-linking polymerisation being carried out in the presence of a cross-linking agent and one or more pore-forming agents.