Methods of preparing phthalonitrile coating compositions are provided, including phthalonitrile sprays, phthalonitrile pastes, and phthalonitrile composite films. In embodiments, such a method comprises, heating a phthalonitrile precursor composition comprising a bisphthalonitrile compound to a temperature and for a period of time to form a phthalonitrile prepolymer composition comprising a bisphthalonitrile prepolymer; cooling the phthalonitrile prepolymer composition to ambient temperature and pulverizing the phthalonitrile prepolymer composition to form particles; combining the particles with a liquid medium to form a phthalonitrile solution; optionally, adding an additive to the phthalonitrile solution; and mixing the phthalonitrile solution to form a phthalonitrile coating composition.

A conjugated azopolymer and methods for making same. The azopolymer includes a plurality of monomer units containing isoindigo with R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 substituent groups, wherein R.sup.1 can be one or more C1 to 30 hydrocarbons; and R.sup.2 can be H or F. The azopolymer can have a number average molecular weight (M.sub.n) of 4 to 20 kDa; a weight average molecular weight (M.sub.w) of 12 to 50 kDa; and a poly dispersity index (PDI) of 2 to 3. The polymer can further have selected maximal wavelengths (λ.sub.max) of 481 to 709 nm and electrochemical reduction events of −0.4 to −1.0 V against an Ag/AgCl reference electrode.

“Black” photoactive materials that comprise synthetic eumelanin polymers are provided, as are methods of making and using the polymers. The synthetic eumelanin polymers are made from the plant oil vanillin, and exhibit defined structural and chemical characteristics (e.g. homogeneity, solubility, etc.) that make them suitable for use in devices that require photoactive materials, such as solar cells.

A method of forming a pattern on a substrate, the method including: forming a photoresist underlayer over a surface of the substrate, wherein the photoresist underlayer is formed from a composition comprising a polymer and a solvent, and the photoresist underlayer has a carbon content of greater than 47 at %; subjecting the photoresist underlayer to a a metal precursor, where the metal precursor infiltrates a free volume of the photoresist underlayer; and exposing the metal precursor-treated photoresist underlayer to an oxidizing agent to provide a metallized photoresist underlayer.

Photopolymers, monomers, compositions including photopolymers and a dopant, and methods, including methods for eliciting a photomechanical response. The dopant may be a triplet sensitizing dopant. The exposing of compositions to the one or more wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation may elicit a photomechanical response via a triplet excited state mechanism.

The invention provides a composition for forming an organic film, which generates no by-product even under such a film formation condition in an inert gas to prevent substrate corrosion, which is capable of forming an organic film not only excellent in properties of filling and planarizing a pattern formed on a substrate but also favorable for dry etching resistance during substrate processing, and further which causes no fluctuation in film thickness of the film due to thermal decomposition even when a CVD hard mask is formed on the organic film. The composition for forming an organic film includes (A) a polymer having a repeating unit shown by the following general formula (1) and (B) an organic solvent. ##STR00001##

The present disclosure provides a resin blend containing a blend of a phthalonitrile resin and a thiadiazole substituted phthalonitrile compound. The present disclosure also provides an article including a polymerization product of such a resin blend. Further, a thiadiazole substituted phthalonitrile compound and an article including a polymerization product of the compound are provided. The present disclosure additionally provides a method of making a thiadiazole substituted phthalonitrile compound. Certain thiadiazole substituted phthalonitrile compounds can act as curatives for the phthalonitrile resin.

The present invention relates to self-healing polymers, more particular autonomously self-healing polymers and uses thereof in various domains, such as 3D printing, flexible electronics and soft robotics. Furthermore, the present invention relates to structures comprising said polymers.

A hard-mask forming composition including a resin (P1) having a repeating structure (u1) represented by General Formula (u1-0), wherein Ar.sup.01 and Ar.sup.02 are aromatic hydrocarbon groups which may have a substituent, Ar.sup.02 has at least one nitrogen atom or oxygen atom, L.sup.01 and L.sup.02 are each independently a single-bonded or divalent linking group, and X is NH.sub.4 and the like ##STR00001##

The present disclosure provides a functionalized phthalonitrile monomer derived from a polyhydric phenol comprising at least one furan group or thiophene group and 4-nitrophthalonitrile. The functionalized phthalonitrile monomer may be used in various thermosetting compositions which can be cured to form thermoset polymers having excellent thermal and mechanical properties, such as high thermal stability, heat resistance, high char yield, and enhanced structural rigidity.