US 2007/0179263 A 1  22  Aug. 2, 2007  substrate, in order to enhance adhesion, there is employed a  method of introducing a functional group such as hydroxyl  or carboxyl, or converting to a salt of carboxylic acid. For  example, with respect to a lubricant to be used as a magnetic  recording medium, there are a report that an ester compound  of perfluoro polyether having hydroxyl or carboxyl is used  as a lubricant (JP5-l 94970A) and a report that an amine salt  compound of perfluoro polyether having carboxylic acid  group at an end or both ends thereof is used as a lubricant  (JP5-143975A, JP2001-216625A). However acidity of car› boxylic acid at an end of perfluoro polyether is higher than  that of usual hydrocarbon carboxylic acid. Therefore in the  case of ester, hydrolysis easily occurs and there is a problem  with long-term stability. Also even in the case of using an  amine salt compound of perfluoro polyether having carboxy› lic acid at an end thereof, since acidity of the carboxylic acid  at an end of perfluoro polyether is strong, free carboxylic  acid influences a substrate. Therefore an excessive amount  of aromatic amine must be contained in the presence of the  salt, and there is a problem with long-term stability due to  dropping out and vaporization of the low molecular weight  aromatic amine from a substrate.  [0177]  When the aromatic compound of the present inven› tion is used as a lubricant, the lubricant must be in the form  of a composition containing the aromatic compound and an  acid because the compound itself has basicity and has an  adverse effect on a substrate. However since the fluorine› containing ether chain of the compound of the present  invention has basicity, the compound can be used as a  lubricant component in the form of a composition containing  a weak acid having less effect on a substrate, and there are  such effects that long-term stability is high and further  adhesion to a substrate is excellent since the compound  contains an aromatic ring structure.  [0178]  Among the compounds of the present invention,  those containing basic functional group is easily liquefied by  mixing with a liquid acid, and is liquefied even if the liquid  acid is not more than a neutral point. Thus the composition  containing a liquid acid and the aromatic compound of the  present invention can be a compound having a low viscosity  and being suitable as an ionic liquid.  (Acid-removing Agent)  [0179]  While importance is attracted to environmental  problems, there arises a problem with disposal of waste  water and waste solvent resulting from synthesis of chemical  substances. Especially when waste water contains acid com› ponents such as an organic acid, phosphoric acid, and oxides  or halides of osmium or tin having a great influence on  environment, treatment of an acid is not considered to have  been completed only by neutralization, and it is necessary to  remove an acid itself from waste water. For removing an  acid from waste water, there is a case where an anionic  polymer is used as an acid-removing agent from the view› point of easy separation from water and easy recycling.  However there are few kinds of anionic polymers having  good separability from water and oxidation resistance  thereof is not always good. Therefore the number of recy› clings is limited. Further in a process for removing an acid  from waste water and a process for removing an acid for  recycling, efficiency is not always good because those  processes are liquid-solid reaction. The aromatic compound  itself of the present invention containing a fluorine-contain- ing ether is a liquid, and therefore a process for removing an  acid is liquid-liquid reaction and reaction efficiency is high.  Also when the fluorine-containing ether chain is short, there  is a case where the compound of the present invention is  dissolved in an acidic aqueous solution, and thereby making  it difficult to separate an acid. Therefore an aromatic com› pound having a long fluorine-containing ether chain is  preferred. Further since the aromatic compound of the  present invention has a high boiling point, there is no fear of  evaporation and recycling is easy.  (Actuator)  [0180]  An actuator is expected to be applied to an artificial  muscle and micro robot, and is a material changing its form  by external stimulation such as heat, light and electricity.  Among actuators, a material in which a polymer electrolyte  gel undergoes swelling and shrinkage in response to an  electric signal is highly expected to be put into practical use  because an electric signal can be easily controlled (Science  and Industry, 72(4), pp. 162 to 167 (1998)).  [0181]  It is preferable that such an actuator shows a larger  change in response to an electric potential because an  intended deformation is made by a smaller electric potential.  Currently solid polymer acid materials such as perfluoro› sulfonic acid membrane and perfluorocarboxylic acid mem› brane subjected to swelling with water are used as an  actuator material, and studies are made to increase a degree  of deformation in response to an electric potential.  [0182]  In the present invention, for example, when the  compound of the present invention having basic functional  group or the polymer of the present invention is added to a  solid polymer acid such as perfluorosulfonic acid membrane  or perfluorocarboxylic acid membrane subjected to swelling  with water, there is an effect of increasing an amount of  change in its form as compared with the case of not adding  the compound or polymer.  [0183]  The functional material of the present invention, as  mentioned above, can be used or mixed in the form ofliquid  or in the form of solid. Further the functional material can  be formed into a solid membrane.  [0184]  For forming the functional material into a solid  membrane, known optional methods, for example, casting,  impregnation and heat press are used.  [0186]  The second of the present invention is a novel  aromatic compound having a fluorine-containing ether  chain.  [0185]  In the case of forming the solid membrane, com› binations of the acid and the compound or polymer are  (i) impregnation of the solid acid with the liquid aromatic  compound having fluorine-containing ether according to the  present invention,  (ii) impregnation of the liquid acid with the solid aromatic  polymer having fluorine-containing ether according to the  present invention,  (iii) composite of the solid aromatic polymer having fluo› rine-containing ether according to the present invention and  the solid acid,  (iv) impregnation of an other solid membrane with a com› position containing an acid and the compound or polymer,  and the like. 