The present invention provides an electrolytic solution capable of providing an electrochemical device (e.g., a lithium ion secondary battery) or a module that is less likely to generate gas even in high-temperature storage and has high capacity retention even after high-temperature storage. The present invention relates to an electrolytic solution which may contain a compound represented by Y.sup.21R.sup.21CCY.sup.22R.sup.22 wherein R.sup.21 and R.sup.22 may be the same as or different from each other, and are each H, an alkyl group, or a halogenated alkyl group; Y.sup.21 and Y.sup.22 may be the same as or different from each other, and are each OR.sup.23 or a halogen atom; and R.sup.23 is H, an alkyl group, or a halogenated alkyl group.

The present invention provides an electrolytic solution capable of providing an electrochemical device (e.g., a lithium ion secondary battery) or a module that is less likely to generate gas even in high-temperature storage and has high capacity retention even after high-temperature storage. The present invention relates to an electrolytic solution which may contain a compound represented by Y.sup.21R.sup.21CCY.sup.22R.sup.22 wherein R.sup.21 and R.sup.22 may be the same as or different from each other, and are each H, an alkyl group, or a halogenated alkyl group; Y.sup.21 and Y.sup.22 may be the same as or different from each other, and are each OR.sup.23 or a halogen atom; and R.sup.23 is H, an alkyl group, or a halogenated alkyl group.

A coating composition including about 5 wt % to about 70 wt % of a latex or a water-dispersible film forming polymer, based on the total weight of the coating composition, a surfactant present in the coating composition at 0.1% to about 1% on the continuous phase of the coating composition; a polymeric associative thickener present in the coating composition at about 0.1% to about 2% on the continuous phase of the coating composition; about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt % a styrene acrylic resin, based on the total weight of the coating composition; and an aqueous diluent.

A sulfuric acid ester containing a plurality of carbonyl groups or a salt thereof, and a surfactant. The sulfuric acid ester is a compound represented by the following formula:

R.sup.1C(O)R.sup.2C(O)R.sup.3OSO.sub.3X

wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are as defined herein; X is H, a metal atom, NR.sup.4.sub.4, imidazolium optionally containing a substituent, pyridinium optionally containing a substituent, or phosphonium optionally containing a substituent, where R.sup.4s are each H or an organic group and are the same as or different from each other; and any two of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 optionally bind to each other to form a ring.

A sulfuric acid ester containing a plurality of carbonyl groups or a salt thereof, and a surfactant. The sulfuric acid ester is a compound represented by the following formula:

R.sup.1C(O)R.sup.2C(O)R.sup.3OSO.sub.3X

wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are as defined herein; X is H, a metal atom, NR.sup.4.sub.4, imidazolium optionally containing a substituent, pyridinium optionally containing a substituent, or phosphonium optionally containing a substituent, where R.sup.4s are each H or an organic group and are the same as or different from each other; and any two of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 optionally bind to each other to form a ring.

The invention provides an associative polymer, a powder, and a process for making a powder including, networking one or more associative polymers and one or more optional surfactants to form a wet gel, and forming a powder from the wet gel, wherein the associative polymer(s) have a weight average molecular weight of from about 10 kDa to about 2,000 kDa.

The invention provides an associative polymer, a powder, and a process for making a powder including, networking one or more associative polymers and one or more optional surfactants to form a wet gel, and forming a powder from the wet gel, wherein the associative polymer(s) have a weight average molecular weight of from about 10 kDa to about 2,000 kDa.

Biodegradable surfactants are described, in which an amphiphilic heteroatom containing hydrocarbon optionally comprising at least one counterion (Z), and related compositions, methods and systems. Biodegradable surfactant described herein has an aHLB value in accordance with equation (1): aHLB=20*Gh/(GhGt) (1) wherein Gh is the Group Number of a hydrophilic head portion of the biodegradable surfactant optionally comprising the at least one counterion (Z), and Gt is the Group Number of a hydrophobic tail portion of the biodegradable surfactant. A biodegradable surfactant in the sense of the disclosure can be tuned to a set hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (aHLB) by selectively modifying at least one tuning moiety of the biodegradable surfactants to provide tuned biodegradable surfactants having an increase or decrease in their adjusted hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (aHLB).

An ionic compound, an absorbent and an absorption device are provided. The ionic compound has a structure represented by Formula (I):

AB.sub.n, Formula (I)

wherein A is

##STR00001##

B is

##STR00002##

R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, and R.sup.6 are independently H, C.sub.1-6 alkyl group; and n is 1 or 2.

An ionic compound, an absorbent and an absorption device are provided. The ionic compound has a structure represented by Formula (I):

AB.sub.n, Formula (I)

wherein A is

##STR00001##

B is

##STR00002##

R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, and R.sup.6 are independently H, C.sub.1-6 alkyl group; and n is 1 or 2.