LB thin films of stearic acid, fullerene-stearic acid mixed system, and sulfated fullerene were fabricated. In order to fabricate hybrid membranes with these anionic molecules, we combined rigid CNC-Cationic or flexible PDMDAAC among cationic polymers. In the film thickness measurement, the smoothness of the substrate surface was found to be lost by adding the polymer to a water-subphase. On the other hand, when sulfated fullerenes were used, it was expected that two-dimensional aggregates would occur between the fullerene skeletons and that the sulfate groups would be uniformly adsorbed on the substrate. Electrochemical measurements confirmed an increase in photocurrent density due to the surface reaction of the ITO substrate. This increase was about 30-fold for sulfated fullerene/ Milli-Q water and about 3-fold for stearic acid/ CNC compared to ITO substrates, indicating the superiority of these substances in promoting electron transfer. In order to make the best use of the electron-accepting property of fullerene, it became clear that the method of dispersion and the order of stacking are important.

Crystalline cellulose nanofibers (nanocelluloses) are produced through chemical purification and nanofibrillation of biomass such as ascidian mantles and wood flour. Nanocellulose with carboxy groups introduced on the surface is dried to make a freestanding paper, and when immersed in an aqueous solution of metal chloride, metal ions can be introduced into the nanocellulose paper. The thermal diffusivity of these metal ion-introduced papers was measured in a low-humidity environment and found to vary depending on the ionic radius and electronegativity. This review outlines the recently revealed thermal conductive properties of nanocellulose papers and the control of thermal diffusivity by ion introduction.

Automotive OEM paints are shifting towards the water borne type due to environmental demands, but solvent borne paints are still used because they allow for less stringent temperature and humidity control in the painting booth. Mainly focusing on the color base paints, I will introduce the overview of the paint design and its required functions.

Kawasaki has long been particular about the paint colors used on its motorcycles, and has produced a wider variety of paint colors than its competitors. For many years, Kawasaki has continued to apply the candy paint that is now used by automobile manufacturers on their mass-produced vehicles. In 2014, the Ninja H2/H2R premium models were given an exclusive silver mirror paint finish to achieve a true metallic look. This paint was developed to meet the performance and appearance requirements of motorcycle paintings. This paper introduces the details of our efforts from the development of the silver mirror painting to its mass production.

Various kinds of solar cells using n-type single-crystalline Si wafers have been vigorously studied. It is expected that those solar cells will replace passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) solar cells, which now occupies the majority of photovoltaic (PV) market. On the other hand, efficiency of crystalline Si solar cells is approaching the theoretical limit even using wafers for mass production. Multijunction technology combining solar cells with different energy band gaps should be developed for further improving efficiency. Recently, tandem solar cells composed of perovskite top cell and crystalline Si bottom cell have attracted much attention. Not only high efficiency PV modules but also highly reliable PV modules are required for maximizing power generation yield during the lifetime, which is essential for further expansion of PV market. Both degradation factors and module technologies for improved reliability are also presented.