Nisshinbo Holdings Inc.

Nisshinbo Industries, Inc.

Gunma University

Naokazu Sasaki

Yasuo Imashiro

Osamu Suzuki

Ikuo Takahashi

Jun-ichi Ozaki

Soichiro Takenishi

Tatsuo Ichihara

Mami Iizuka

Katsuyuki Matsubayashi

Kyosuke Iida

Yukiko Ogushi

Tomoaki Shoji

Hiroko Matsubayashi

Sanae Okada

Jun-Ichi Ozaki

An electrode for use in a fuel cell comprises a flexible carbon-fiber nonwoven fabric and a fuel cell catalyst, such as a metal catalyst or a carbon alloy catalyst, supported on the surfaces of the carbon fibers constituting the flexible carbon-fiber nonwoven fabric. The flexible carbon-fiber nonwoven fabric is formed by carbonizing a nonwoven fabric obtained by electrospinning a composition containing: an electrospinnable macromolecular substance; an organic compound that is different from the macromolecular substance; and a transition metal. This structure allows the provision of an electrode, for use in a fuel cell, which uses a flexible carbon-fiber nonwoven fabric as a substrate and combines the functions of a gas-diffusion layer and an electrocatalyst layer.

Electrode for use in a fuel cell functioning as a gas diffusion layer and an electrocatalyst layer

Disclosed is an antibacterial nanofiber which comprises a polymer having an electron-withdrawing group and/or an electron-withdrawing atomic group and has an average fiber diameter of not less than 1 nm and less than 1000 nm, wherein the ratio of the binding energy of the minimum unit of the polymer at 25&#xb0; C. to the binding energy of the electron-withdrawing group and/or the electron-withdrawing atomic group contained in the minimum unit of the polymer at 25&#xb0; C. is 0.13 or greater. The nanofiber has an antibacterial activity by itself, and therefore can exhibit an antibacterial activity without the need of adding any antibacterial agent.

Process of making an antibacterial nanofiber

Provided is a flexible carbon fiber nonwoven fabric which has resistance to bending, is flexible, and exhibits excellent processability.

Flexible carbon fiber nonwoven fabric

A material is provided for immobilization of biologically active substances which are reactive with a carbodiimide group. The material contains a carbodiimide group-containing polymer supported on a carrier such as a plastic, an inorganic polymer, a metal, a natural polymer or a ceramic. The carbodiimide group-containing polymer has 2 to 100 carbodiimide groups per molecule and a molecular weight of 1,000 to 100,000, and is prepared by carbodiimidization of an organic polyisocyanate in the presence of a catalyst. The polymer may be supported as a film on part or the whole area of the carrier. Biologically active substances that may be immobilized include enzymes, hormones, antibodies, antigens, heptenes, peptides, DNAs and RNAs.

Immobilization of biologically active substances on a carrier containing

A method is provided, comprising the steps of reacting a biologically active first substance immobilized on a carrier with a second substance capable of specifically binding the first substance, and detecting a non-bound part of the second substance or a bound part of the second substance indirectly bound to the carrier through binding between the first and second substances so that the first substance or the second substance in a sample is analyzed, wherein the carrier carries a compound having 2 to 100 carbodiimide groups, and the first substance is immobilized on the carrier through the carbodiimide groups so that the active substance such as protein and nucleic acid is bound to the carrier conveniently, efficiently, and tightly.

Method for analyzing biologically active substances

Growing community of inventors

Chiba, Japan

Naokazu Sasaki