In order to understand microstructure formation process of the catalyst layer for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), we tried to evaluate the catalyst slurry properties. The catalyst slurries were prepared changing the water/alcohol ratio of the solvent and their flow curve and packing ability were investigated. In addition the size and the adsorbed amount of the ionomer were also measured. On the other hand, the electrode was fabricated from the prepared slurry and its performance was examined.

It was shown that the mean diameter of ionomer measured by dynamic light scattering and the adsorbed amount of ionomer on Pt/C particles decreased with an increase in alcohol ratio of solvent. It was also found that the packing ability of slurry became poorer when the alcohol ratio of solvent increased due to less adsorbed amount of ionomer onto Pt/C particles. From the results of the slurry and the electrode characterization, it was suggested that the adsorbed amount of ionomer and the size of free ionomer could play an important role to improve the PEFC performance.

In order to recycle municipal waste incineration ash and cement the raw material, it needs to dechlorinate from these ashes. The chlorides in the ash exists as an insoluble salt, it is an obstacle to dechlorinating process. The insoluble salt is formed Friedel’s salt that is not easy to eliminate in many case. In order to remove Friedel’s salt which is insoluble salt in ash, we distorted the structure by the ball milling and dissolve chlorides in solution, and solid-liquid separation was carried out by filter press. In the process to which sodium bicarbonate was added, obtained results that 78% chlorides elimination, 3,060 ppm chlorides remains from 14,080 ppm chlorides of raw materials in this experiment. This approach is expected to be effective as one of the ash recycling technologies.

We have developed suspension-state NMR to evaluate the molecular states of drug nanosuspension directly without drying. In this commentary, the case studies by suspended-state NMR which evaluated two kinds of drug nanosuspensions were introduced. At first, an indomethacin/poloxamer 407 nanosuspension where indomethacin was in crystalline state was investigated. Secondly, a piroxicam/poloxamer 407 nanosuspension where crystalline and amorphous piroxicam coexisted was studied. The molecular states of poloxamer 407 located at the solid-liquid interface of drug nanoparticle and water were different between the drug nanosuspension using indomethacin and piroxicam. Finally, the structure of drug nanosuspension and the solid-liquid interface was discussed.

Surface modification of functional polymers onto liposomes is effective strategy to obtain functional liposomes that release drugs at target site or intracellular compartments. Here, design of pH-sensitive liposomes for cell-specific intracellular drug delivery was summarized. Liposomes modified with hyaluronic acid derivatives exhibited selective anticancer drug delivery to CD44-expressing cancer cells. Furthermore, liposomes modified with curdlan derivatives were efficiently recognized by dendritic cells, leading to efficient antigen delivery, activation of dendritic cell and induction of antitumor immunity on tumor-bearing mice. Therefore, functional polymer-modified liposomes are promising for cell-selective cancer chemotherapeutic system or immunotherapeutic systems.