[Problem] To provide a method for removing the upper part of a sacrificial layer. [Means for Solution] A method for removing the upper part of a sacrificial layer comprising the following steps: .Math.(1) applying a sacrificial solution comprising a polymer having an acid-dissociable protective group (A) and a solvent (B) above a substrate; .Math.(2) forming a sacrificial layer from the applied sacrificial solution; .Math.(3) subjecting an acidic aqueous solution to contact with the surface of the sacrificial layer; and .Math.(4) applying a remover to the sacrificial layer.

The present invention is the use of a compound comprising two or more covalently bonded polymerisable vinyl groups and one or more covalently bonded ionic groups selected from a quaternary ammonium group; a quaternary phosphonium group; or a tertiary sulphonium group, as an ionic cross-linker. The cross-linkers of the invention may be used to form an ionomer membrane. Methods for forming the cross-linkers of the invention are also disclosed.

Described herein are polymer complexes, including polymer gels and polymer foams, containing electrically conductive polymers and ionic liquids. The polymer complexes described herein are useful as components of electronic devices.

The invention relates to a method for the specific production of a polymer material doped by a first metal element, which is gold, and at least one second metal element, said first metal element and said at least one second metal element being identical or different from each other.

A partially quaternized styrene-based polymer contains given amounts of a constituent unit having a quaternary salt type anion-exchange group and a constituent unit having a haloalkyl group. Due to the polymer, the ionic conductivity and the gas diffusion properties are kept high and the swelling of the electrode catalyst layer in a post-crosslinking step can be minimized to form a highly active catalytic electrode layer and obtain an excellent fuel-cell output.

Provided are a functional polymer membrane including: a surface layer; and an anion exchange membrane or a cation exchange membrane, in which the surface layer contains a polymer which includes a cross-linked structure having, in a cross-linking unit, an ionic group with a charge opposite to a charge of an ionic group included in at least one of the anion exchange membrane or the cation exchange membrane; a production method thereof, and a stack or a device provided with a polymer functional membrane.

A manufacture method for fullerence/PEDOT:PSS mixed solution and a manufacture method for compound transparent conductive film having fullerence/PEDOT:PSS are provided in the present invention: making fullerence/PEDOT:PSS mixed solution to manufacture a transparent conductive film; sources of applicable materials are broad and prices thereof are cheap; the fullerence/PEDOT:PSS mixed solution can be further utilized to manufacture a compound transparent conductive film having fullerence/PEDOT:PSS on substrates or a variety of devices; the present invention discloses a manufacture method for a compound transparent conductive film having fullerence/PEDOT:PSS, and when manufacturing the compound transparent conductive film having fullerence/PEDOT:PSS via wet coating process which is with low cost and high efficiency comparing with manufacture of ITO film, and furthermore expensive PVD equipment can be waived, production cost can be reduced, manufacturing method can be simplified at the same time, production time is shorter and economic efficiency can be increased; the compound transparent conductive film having fullerence/PEDOT:PSS manufacturing in the present invention has high conductivity and high light transmittance to replace ITO films in the market.

An anion-conducting polymeric membrane can include vinylbenzyl-R.sub.s vinylbenzyl-R.sub.x and styrene. In some embodiments, R.sub.s is a tetra methylimidazolium, and R.sub.s is a positively changed amine. In some embodiments, the total weight of the vinylbenzyl-R.sub.s groups is greater than 20% of the total weight of the membrane.

A reverse electrodialysis device, including an anode, a cathode, one or more single cells spaced apart from each other between the anode and the cathode, each single cell including a cation exchange membrane and an anion exchange membrane, and a shielding membrane disposed to define spaces between the anode and the single cell and/or between the cathode and the single cell. The cation exchange membrane and the shielding membrane include a porous polymer substrate and a polymer electrolyte incorporated into pores in the substrate.

An object of the present invention is to provide a high-performance ion exchange membrane having a small defect and a sufficient mechanical strength, a method for manufacturing the ion exchange membrane, and a module and a device which include the ion exchange membrane.

An ion exchange membrane of the present invention contains a resin having an amino group and a constitutional unit represented by Formula 1, in which the number of amino groups per dry mass is 0.15 to 2.4 mmol/g. In Formula 1, L.sup.1 represents an alkylene group or an alkenylene group, R.sup.a, R.sup.b, R.sup.c, and R.sup.d each independently represent an alkyl group or an aryl group, R.sup.a and R.sup.b and/or R.sup.c and R.sup.d may form a ring by being bonded to each other, n1 and n2 each independently represent an integer of 1 to 10, and X.sub.1.sup. and X.sub.2.sup. each independently represent an organic or inorganic anion.

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