Anions are important chemical species involved not only in biological reactions but also in environmental pollution. Anion receptors that selectively and sensitively recognize anions have been synthesized and evaluated. On the other hand, it has been found that the function of anion receptors is enhanced by using water interfaces, as unique reaction spaces. In this review, the development of anion recognition using the water interface will be presented, including the author's recent studies on the usefulness of the water interface and the design of anion receptors.

Many thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (TPU) are synthesized using petroleum-derived raw materials, and their disposal via incineration contributes to environmental pollution. In this study, a novel TPU with low environmental impact was synthesized by introducing hydroxyl groups at the chain ends of natural rubber and subsequently polymerizing it with various diisocyanates via step-growth polymerization. The properties of the obtained TPU were investigated, revealing excellent thermal stability and mechanical properties. Furthermore, photodegradation of the TPU was performed using a xenon lamp in the presence of a photosensitizer, leading to molecular chain scission and a reduction in molecular weight, rendering the material soluble in organic solvents. These findings suggest that the synthesized TPU is an environmentally friendly material with desirable properties.

To reproduce the deterioration of coating film caused by falling contamination during outdoor exposure, we devised a load test method in which a paste of clay minerals and inorganic salts is applied to the test panel and then heated and dried. We found that by combining this contamination load test with a xenon arc lamp accelerated weathering machine (XWM), the exposure reproducibility of coating film deterioration is dramatically improved. Since the acid hydrolysis of coating film during outdoor exposure is reproduced by the contamination load, the operating conditions of the XWM are different from those standardized by ISO/JIS, etc., and are mainly light irradiation without water spray, and it is considered desirable to spray hydrogen peroxide water appropriately to compensate for the photooxidation reaction.

In this lecture, optical simulation of foundation-applied skin will be described. The main purpose is to investigate the optical behavior of foundation-applied skin, since the change in appearance caused by foundation application is due to the change in optical behavior caused by the application of foundation from bare skin to coated skin. When the object of calculation is large, as in the case of applied skin, the Kubelka-Munk theory and the Monte Carlo method, which calculate the optical behavior as an energy transfer rather than as an electromagnetic wave, are more suitable. In this lecture, these methods will be explained.

Filtration is a long-established technique that has been utilized in various fields for a long time. In a broad sense, the collection and separation of powders and gases also fall under filtration. However, the filtration process in manufacturing of pigments often refers specifically to the process using filter press equipment and is already a mature process. Therefore, it is often recognized as just one step in the workflow, and there may not be many opportunities to delve into the filtration process in detail. In this article, we would like to take this opportunity to revisit the overview, types, and key points of filtration.