Masahiro Yoshida

Concern for the environment has increased interest in reducing the amount of pesticides applied to agricultural land. This can be accomplished by immobilization of the pesticides in polymer supports, which prevents volatilization, degradation and leaching losses, and provides controlled release of the pesticides. In the present study, acetamiprid, a novel pesticide, was enclosed in polylactide (PLA)‐based microspheres using solvent evaporation method via oil‐in‐oil (O/O) emulsion. Amount of acetamiprid released from PLA microspheres was less than 5% in phosphate buffered saline. On the other hand, incorporation of water‐soluble polymer, such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(oxyethylene) diglycolic acid, into the PLA microspheres resulted in increased amount of released acetamiprid (∼70%). Planting hole application by greenhouse pot test demonstrated that the efficacy of the PLA/PEG microspheres enclosing acetamiprid against cotton aphids was superior to that of PLA microspheres enclosing acetamiprid. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008

Solid-liquid phase change materials (PCMs) consisting of multicomponent fatty acids have been developed. The thermodynamic properties of PCMs were investigated in detail with a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). PCMs were prepared using two saturated fatty acids. The phase transition temperature of the binary system composed of capric and lauric acids was able to be freely controlled. In addition, the additive effect of surfactants with fatty acid properties (sodium oleate or sodiumlaurate) was investigated. In particular, the addition of more than 15 wt% sodium oleate or sodiumlaurate to the binary system was a very effective means of suppressing the supercooling and controlling the temperature of the phase change between 4° and 7°C. Furthermore, the phase transition behavior on a large scale was constant in 200 heating-cooling cycle tests using handmade experimental apparatus. Physicochemical degradation of PCMs was not observed after repeated tests by FT-IR.

Nylon-polystyrene microcapsules with immobilized ferroelectric liquid crystalline segments were prepared, and the permeability control of the encapsulated core material was investigated under an external electric field. A ferroelectric liquid crystal monomer possessing both mesogenicity and chirality effectively responded to an external electrical field. Permeation of the material (oxprenolol) contained in the inner aqueous core of the microcapsules was enhanced under a feeble electric field (2 V). Furthermore, it was found that the permeability of the microcapsules without the ferroelectric liquid crystal group did not depend on the external electrical field. In order to clarify the controlled release mechanism of the core material, the transmittance was quantitatively evaluated under an external electric field using a handmade polarized light transmittance apparatus.

We synthesized a ferroelectric liquid crystalline monomer (4‐[4′‐(7‐octeneloxy)benzoyloxy]benzoate‐2‐methylbutyester, OBBM) possessing both carboxyl p‐benzolxybenzoate and carboxyl (s)‐(‐)‐2‐methylbutylester as a mesogenic group in its side chain. The liquid crystalline and styrene monomers were employed to make matrices of microspheres prepared by dispersion, suspension, or emulsion polymerization. In this study, we investigated, in detail, physicochemical properties, thermal responses, and electrooptical responses of the microspheres possessing liquid crystalline abilities. The ferroelectric liquid crystalline monomer OBBM had a thermotropic liquid crystalline ability, two‐phase transition temperatures, and a Smectic C* texture, which is characteristic of ferroelectric liquid crystalline substances. The microspheres prepared also exhibited a liquid crystalline ability, and the phase‐transition temperatures toward the liquid crystalline segments into the microspheres prepared by copolymerizing the liquid crystalline and styrene monomers could be decreased with increasing of the styrene monomer. Furthermore, we found that the microspheres remarkably exhibited electrooptical responses at about 8 V. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 2490–2499, 2001

We synthesized a ferroelectric liquid crystal monomer possessing both carboxyl p-benzolxy-benzoate and carboxyl (s)-(-)-2-methylbutyl ester in its side chain. The liquid crystal and styrene monomers were utilized to form matrices of microspheres prepared by the dispersion or suspension polymerization. In this study, we characterized in detail physicochemical properties, thermo-responses, or electro-optical responses in the microspheres. We demonstrated the following results: (1) the volume-averaged diameters of microspheres prepared by the dispersion or suspension polymerization were of 1.5 or 45 μm, respectively, (2) the microspheres prepared showed liquid crystal abilities at the prescribed temperature, (3) the phase transition temperatures toward the liquid crystal phase of the microspheres prepared by copolymerizing the liquid crystal and styrene monomers could be decreased with increasing styrene monomer concentrations, and (4) the microspheres obtained remarkably exhibited electro-optical responses at the appointed voltage.