A composition for forming protective films against aqueous hydrogen peroxide solutions, including: a compound of the following formula (1a) or formula (1b) or a compound having a substituent of the following formula (2) and having a molecular weight of 300 or more and less than 800 or a weight-average molecular weight of 300 or more and less than 800; and a solvent, the composition containing the compound of the formula (1a) or formula (1b) of 0.1% by mass to 60% by mass or the compound having the substituent of the formula (2) of 10% by mass to 100% by mass, relative to solids excluding the solvent: ##STR00001##
(wherein R.sub.1 is a C.sub.1-4 alkylene or alkenylene group or a direct bond, k is 0 or 1, m is an integer of 1 to 3, and n is an integer of 2 to 4.)

A composition for forming protective films against aqueous hydrogen peroxide solutions, including: a compound of the following formula (1a) or formula (1b) or a compound having a substituent of the following formula (2) and having a molecular weight of 300 or more and less than 800 or a weight-average molecular weight of 300 or more and less than 800; and a solvent, the composition containing the compound of the formula (1a) or formula (1b) of 0.1% by mass to 60% by mass or the compound having the substituent of the formula (2) of 10% by mass to 100% by mass, relative to solids excluding the solvent:

##STR00001##

(wherein R.sub.1 is a C.sub.1-4 alkylene or alkenylene group or a direct bond, k is 0 or 1, m is an integer of 1 to 3, and n is an integer of 2 to 4.)

A cured-film formation composition that forms a cured film exhibiting excellent liquid-crystal orientation properties and excellent light transmission properties when the cured-film formation composition is used as an orientation material and a layer of a polymerizable liquid crystal is arranged thereon. A cured-film formation composition including a component (A) that is a compound obtained by reacting a cinnamic acid compound of Formula (1) below with a compound having at least one epoxy group in one molecule, ##STR00001##
wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, and R.sup.5 are each independently a substituent selected from a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a C.sub.1-6 alkyl, a C.sub.1-6 haloalkyl, a C.sub.1-6 alkoxy, a C.sub.1-6 haloalkoxy, cyano, and nitro; and a component (B) that is a cross-linking agent, an orientation material which is obtained from the composition, and a retardation material which is obtained from the composition.

A polymer is formed by a reaction of phenolic epoxy resin or bisphenol epoxy resin and carboxylic acid, wherein the phenolic epoxy resin has a chemical structure of

##STR00001##

wherein W is H, alkyl group, or halogen. R.sup.1 is methylene, methylene diphenyl, dimethylene benzene, tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene, or

##STR00002##

n=1 to 8. The bisphenol epoxy resin has a chemical structure of

##STR00003##

wherein Z is H or alkyl group; R.sup.4 is methylene, methylmethylene, dimethylmethylene, ethylmethylmethylene, bi(trifluoromethyl)methylene, fluorenylidene, or sulfonyl group; and p=1 to 10. The carboxylic acid has a chemical structure of HOOCAr(X).sub.m, HOOCR.sup.2, or a combination thereof, wherein Ar is benzene or naphthalene; X is hydroxy group, alkoxy group, or alkyl group, and at least one X is hydroxy group; m=1 to 3, wherein R.sup.2 is C.sub.3-7 alkyl group.

A cured-film formation composition that forms a cured film exhibiting excellent liquid-crystal orientation properties and excellent light transmission properties when the cured-film formation composition is used as an orientation material and a layer of a polymerizable liquid crystal is arranged thereon. A cured-film formation composition including a component (A) that is a compound obtained by reacting a cinnamic acid compound of Formula (1) below with a compound having at least one epoxy group in one molecule,

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, and R.sup.5 are each independently a substituent selected from a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a C.sub.1-6 alkyl, a C.sub.1-6 haloalkyl, a C.sub.1-6 alkoxy, a C.sub.1-6 haloalkoxy, cyano, and nitro; and a component (B) that is a cross-linking agent, an orientation material which is obtained from the composition, and a retardation material which is obtained from the composition

A method includes mixing a clathrate compound with an epoxy resin to form a curable epoxy resin composition, and may further include heating the curable epoxy resin composition to cure the curable epoxy resin composition. The clathrate compound includes (a1) a carboxylic acid compound represented by the formula A(COOH).sub.k; and (a2) a xylylene diamine compound. In the formula A(COOH).sub.k, A represents a C1-C6 linear hydrocarbon group optionally having a substituent, a C3-C10 monocyclic hydrocarbon group optionally having a substituent, or a C6-C10 bicyclic hydrocarbon group optionally having a substituent; and k represents 2 or 3.

A resist underlayer film exhibits excellent removability in a wet etching chemical liquid while mainly exhibiting excellent resistance to a resist solvent or a resist developer. A composition for forming a resist underlayer film for i-line contains a reaction product of a bifunctional or higher glycidyl ester type epoxy resin and a compound A represented by the following Formula (A), and a solvent.

##STR00001##

(In Formula (A), R.sub.1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or an aryl group having 6 to 40 carbon atoms, X represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a hydroxy group, an alkoxy group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkoxycarbonyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a halogen atom, a cyano group, a nitro group, or a combination thereof, and n represents an integer from 0 to 4.)

A solution including 5 to 65 wt. % polyphenols which are solid at room temperature and 35 to 95 wt. % amines of formula (I). The solution is preferably used for preparing a curing agent for epoxy resins. The solution has low viscosity and can be readily mixed with, and is compatible with, epoxy resins. The solution allows in particular readily processable, low-emission epoxy resin coatings having rapid curing, high final hardness, a flawless, glossy surface and low levels of yellowing, which also cure in a problem-free manner in cold conditions to form coatings of high quality and robustness without using any, or using only a small amount of, thinners.