The disclosure relates to thermally expandable microspheres comprising a polymeric shell surrounding a blowing agent-containing hollow core, the polymer shell comprising a carboxylate-functionalised cellulose having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of at least about 125° C. The disclosure also relates to a method for preparing such thermally expandable microspheres, comprising mixing an aqueous phase that optionally comprises an emulsifier with an organic phase that comprises an organic solvent, a blowing agent and a carboxylate-functionalised cellulose having a Tg of at about least 125° C., to form a microsphere dispersion.

An object of the present invention is to provide an ion-exchange membrane for simply and inexpensively separating and purifying exosomes present in a biological sample such as serum. The invention relates to a cellulose-based ion-exchange membrane containing a cellulose-based polymer having at least one hydroxyl group or acetyl group at the 2-, 3-, or 6-position being replaced with a positively charged compound. The invention also relates to a method for purifying exosomes, including subjecting a sample containing exosomes to membrane permeation by using the cellulose-based ion-exchange membrane to allow for adsorption of the exosomes, bringing the membrane into contact with a washing liquid to remove impurities, and bringing the membrane into contact with an eluent to allow for desorption of the exosomes.

A method for preparing a modified cellulose aerogel for glycoprotein separation is provided. In this method, cellulose aerogel is employed as a substrate. The cellulose aerogel is known to have a three-dimensional network structure with extremely high porosity and specific surface area and extremely low density. So, by using the cellulose aerogel as a substrate, it is possible to provide the glycoproteins to be separated with more binding sites. PEI dendrimer has abundant functional groups and can easily be modified. By modifying the cellulose aerogel substrate with the PEI dendrimer, it is possible to improve the density of the phenylboronic acid bound to the substrate, thereby leading to higher affinity toward the glycoproteins to be separated.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a thickener capable of exhibiting excellent light resistance. The present invention relates to a thickener comprising cellulose fibers having a fiber width of 8 nm or less and water, wherein the thickener is a slurry or a gel, and when the thickener is filled in a colorless and transparent glass cell having an inside dimension of 1 cm in depth×4 cm in width×4.5 cm in height and the thickener is then irradiated with ultraviolet rays with a wavelength of 300 nm or more and 400 nm or less, using a xenon lamp, from the side of the maximum area surface of the glass cell, so as to be an irradiance of 180 W/m.sup.2 and an integrated light amount of 500 mJ/m.sup.2, the amount of a change in the yellowness before and after ultraviolet irradiation measured in accordance with JIS K 7373 is 10 or less.

The present invention provides resin beads that can provide various types of products such as cosmetics which are unlikely to generate an odor and have superior tactile impression and spreadability on the skin and that can be substituted for resin particles composed of a synthetic material derived from petroleum, and the present invention also provides various types of products such as cosmetics using the resin beads. The resin beads are formed with a resin containing a cellulose derivative as a main component. In the resin beads, the cellulose derivative is at least one selected from the group consisting of cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, ethyl cellulose, and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, the volume average particle diameter is 50 μm or smaller, the degree of sphericity is 0.7 to 1.0, the degree of surface smoothness is 80 to 100%, the acetyl group content ratio is 15% by mass or less, and the propionyl group content ratio is 10% by mass or more. In addition, the present invention provides a product of any one of a cosmetic, a dermatological preparation, a paint, a shaped article, a film, a coating agent, and a resin composition, which contain the resin beads.

Disclosed herein are a retardation film for IPS mode, a polarizing plate including the same, and a liquid crystal display including the same. The retardation film for IPS mode has an out-of-plane retardation at a wavelength of 450 nm (Rth (450) of about −80 nm to 0 nm, an out-of-plane retardation at a wavelength of 550 nm (Rth (550) of about −60 nm to 10 nm, an out-of-plane retardation at a wavelength of 650 nm (Rth (650) of about −60 nm to 10 nm, and an in-plane retardation (Re) at a wavelength of 550 nm of about 0 nm to 10 nm.

A water-soluble film comprising an integrated water-dispersible barrier against any permeation.

A method for producing functionalized nanocrystalline cellulose, the method comprising the steps of providing cellulose, mixing said cellulose with a peroxide, thereby producing a reaction mixture, and heating the reaction mixture, and/or exposing the reaction mixture to UV radiation is provided. Functionalized nanocrystalline cellulose produced by this method is also provided.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a denatured cellulose fiber cake including carrying out a solid-liquid separation of a dispersion containing denatured cellulose fibers under the conditions of a centrifugal force of a centrifuge of 50 G or more and 600 G or less (step A). According to the present invention, a new method for producing a resin composition containing denatured cellulose fibers, and a new method for producing a denatured cellulose fiber cake, a shortened anionically denatured cellulose fiber cake, modified cellulose fibers, or fine cellulose fibers which can be used therefor can be provided.

Cellulose derivative particles including an alkoxy group having 2 or more carbons or an acyl group having 3 or more carbons, wherein the cellulose derivative particles have an average particle size of 80 nm or greater and 100 μm or less, a sphericity of 70% or greater and 100% or less, and a surface smoothness of 80% or greater and 100% or less; and a total substitution degree of the cellulose derivative is 0.7 or greater and 3 or less.