The present invention relates to a method for providing an anti-microbial and an anti-pilling effect to textiles and for improving dye uptake to textiles. The invention also relates to novel co-polymers to be used in the method of the invention and to novel textiles.

Disclosed methods include formulating azobenzene-based polymer networks to induce a modulus change in a highly crosslinked polymer, in vivo, with no external heat requirement and using a benign light as the source of stimuli. A modulus change can be achieved via a coating on the substrate and within the bulk of the substrate via photoexposure. The azobenzene-based polymer network can be formed as a coating or in the bulk of a material from either a glassy composition comprising methyl methacrylate (MMA), poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) or a soft material comprising of long-chain difunctional acrylates. The disclosed technology also includes methods of biofilm disruption and removal from the surface of a substrate, and includes methods of inhibiting biofilm growth and cell attachment to a substrate.

Disclosed methods include formulating azobenzene-based polymer networks to induce a modulus change in a highly crosslinked polymer, in vivo, with no external heat requirement and using a benign light as the source of stimuli. A modulus change can be achieved via a coating on the substrate and within the bulk of the substrate via photoexposure. The azobenzene-based polymer network can be formed as a coating or in the bulk of a material from either a glassy composition comprising methyl methacrylate (MMA), poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) or a soft material comprising of long-chain difunctional acrylates. The disclosed technology also includes methods of biofilm disruption and removal from the surface of a substrate, and includes methods of inhibiting biofilm growth and cell attachment to a substrate.

This invention concerns a transparent composition comprising at least a first amphoteric water-soluble polymer, which comprises: A units of a cationic monomer selected from: acidified or quaternised dimethylaminoethyl acrylate salts, acidified or quaternised dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate salts, acidified or quaternised dimethylaminopropyl acrylamide salts, and acidified or quaternised dimethylaminopropyl methacrylamide salts, and mixtures thereof; B units of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulphonic acid and/or salts thereof; and optionally C units of acrylamide,

characterised in that the molar ratio between the A units of cationic monomer and the B units of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulphonic acid and/or salts thereof is between 0.4 and 1.4.

This invention concerns a transparent composition comprising at least a first amphoteric water-soluble polymer, which comprises: A units of a cationic monomer selected from: acidified or quaternised dimethylaminoethyl acrylate salts, acidified or quaternised dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate salts, acidified or quaternised dimethylaminopropyl acrylamide salts, and acidified or quaternised dimethylaminopropyl methacrylamide salts, and mixtures thereof; B units of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulphonic acid and/or salts thereof; and optionally C units of acrylamide,

characterised in that the molar ratio between the A units of cationic monomer and the B units of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulphonic acid and/or salts thereof is between 0.4 and 1.4.

This invention concerns a transparent composition comprising at least a first amphoteric water-soluble polymer, which comprises: A units of a cationic monomer selected from: acidified or quaternised dimethylaminoethyl acrylate salts, acidified or quaternised dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate salts, acidified or quaternised dimethylaminopropyl acrylamide salts, and acidified or quaternised dimethylaminopropyl methacrylamide salts, and mixtures thereof; B units of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulphonic acid and/or salts thereof; and optionally C units of acrylamide,

characterised in that the molar ratio between the A units of cationic monomer and the B units of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulphonic acid and/or salts thereof is between 0.4 and 1.4.

Provided is a photopolymerizable composition comprising a blend of: a) from 40 wt. % to 70 wt. % of at least one urethane component; b) from 25 wt. % to 70 wt % of at least one monofunctional reactive diluent; c) from 0.1 wt. % to 5 wt. % of at least one initiator; and d) from 2 wt. % to 10 wt % of an amine-functional (meth)acrylate monomer of formula (I), C═C—CO—O—R.sub.1—NR.sub.2R.sub.3(I); e) optionally, at least one multiple-functional reactive diluent; f) optionally, from 0.001 wt. % to 1 wt. % of an inhibitor, wherein the wt. % in all instances is based on total weight of the photopolymerizable composition, wherein at least one of R.sub.1, R.sub.2, and R.sub.3 is an alkyl group, and wherein the amine-functional (meth)acrylate monomer is not an amide. Also provided is a process of producing a photopolymerizable composition, the process comprising blending the ingredients of the prior sentence. Further provided is a process of producing a three-dimensional object, the process comprising the steps of: A) depositing the photopolymerizable composition according to the first sentence atop a carrier to obtain a layer of a construction material joined to the carrier which corresponds to a first selected cross section of the precursor; B) depositing additional photopolymerizable composition atop a previously applied layer of the construction material to obtain a further layer of the construction material which corresponds to a further selected cross section of the precursor and which is joined to the previously applied layer, C) repeating step B) until the precursor is formed, wherein the depositing of the photopolymerizable composition at least in step B) comprises introducing energy to a selected region of the photopolymerizable composition corresponding to the respectively selected cross section of the object.

Provided is a photopolymerizable composition comprising a blend of: a) from 40 wt. % to 70 wt. % of at least one urethane component; b) from 25 wt. % to 70 wt % of at least one monofunctional reactive diluent; c) from 0.1 wt. % to 5 wt. % of at least one initiator; and d) from 2 wt. % to 10 wt % of an amine-functional (meth)acrylate monomer of formula (I), C═C—CO—O—R.sub.1—NR.sub.2R.sub.3(I); e) optionally, at least one multiple-functional reactive diluent; f) optionally, from 0.001 wt. % to 1 wt. % of an inhibitor, wherein the wt. % in all instances is based on total weight of the photopolymerizable composition, wherein at least one of R.sub.1, R.sub.2, and R.sub.3 is an alkyl group, and wherein the amine-functional (meth)acrylate monomer is not an amide. Also provided is a process of producing a photopolymerizable composition, the process comprising blending the ingredients of the prior sentence. Further provided is a process of producing a three-dimensional object, the process comprising the steps of: A) depositing the photopolymerizable composition according to the first sentence atop a carrier to obtain a layer of a construction material joined to the carrier which corresponds to a first selected cross section of the precursor; B) depositing additional photopolymerizable composition atop a previously applied layer of the construction material to obtain a further layer of the construction material which corresponds to a further selected cross section of the precursor and which is joined to the previously applied layer, C) repeating step B) until the precursor is formed, wherein the depositing of the photopolymerizable composition at least in step B) comprises introducing energy to a selected region of the photopolymerizable composition corresponding to the respectively selected cross section of the object.

Disclosed herein is a composite material suitable for inhibiting biofilm growth, the composite material comprising a substrate material and a random copolymeric material covalently bonded to a surface of the substrate material. The random copolymer contains repeating units having at least one functional group bearing a cationic charge and repeating units having at least one functional group bearing an anionic charge, where the repeating units are derived from compatible monomers that belong to different monomer classes having differing polymerisation kinetics. Specifically, the random copolymeric material is poly(AMPTMA-ran-SPM), wherein AMPTMA is (3-acrylamidopropyl) trimethylammonium chloride and SPM is 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium. Also disclosed are methods of manufacturing said material and applications thereof.

Disclosed herein is a composite material suitable for inhibiting biofilm growth, the composite material comprising a substrate material and a random copolymeric material covalently bonded to a surface of the substrate material. The random copolymer contains repeating units having at least one functional group bearing a cationic charge and repeating units having at least one functional group bearing an anionic charge, where the repeating units are derived from compatible monomers that belong to different monomer classes having differing polymerisation kinetics. Specifically, the random copolymeric material is poly(AMPTMA-ran-SPM), wherein AMPTMA is (3-acrylamidopropyl) trimethylammonium chloride and SPM is 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium. Also disclosed are methods of manufacturing said material and applications thereof.