Aryl-modified hyperbranched polyols are described, as are coating compositions containing these polyols. These polyols enable waterborne coating compositions that: include water-sensitive pigments; are storage stable; and have a low content of VOCs, as well as solventborne coating compositions that: include organic pigments; are storage stable; and enable certain enhanced color properties.

Residence structures, systems, and related methods are generally provided. Certain embodiments comprise administering (e.g., orally) a residence structure to a subject (e.g., a patient) such that the residence structure is retained at a location internal to the subject for a particular amount of time (e.g., at least about 24 hours) before being released. The residence structure may be, in some cases, a gastric residence structure. In some embodiments, the structures and systems described herein comprise one or more materials configured for high levels of active substances (e.g., a therapeutic agent) loading, high active substance and/or structure stability in acidic environments, mechanical flexibility and strength in an internal orifice (e.g., gastric cavity), easy passage through the GI tract until delivery to at a desired internal orifice (e.g., gastric cavity), and/or rapid dissolution/degradation in a physiological environment (e.g., intestinal environment) and/or in response to a chemical stimulant (e.g., ingestion of a solution that induces rapid dissolution/degradation). In certain embodiments, the structure has a modular design, combining a material configured for controlled release of therapeutic, diagnostic, and/or enhancement agents with a structural material necessary for gastric residence but configured for controlled and/or tunable degradation/dissolution to determine the time at which retention shape integrity is lost and the structure passes out of the gastric cavity. For example, in certain embodiments, the residence structure comprises a first elastic component, a second component configured to release an active substance (e.g., a therapeutic agent), and, optionally, a linker. In some such embodiments, the linker may be configured to degrade such that the residence structure breaks apart and is released from the location internally of the subject after a predetermined amount of time.

Residence structures, systems, and related methods are generally provided. Certain embodiments comprise administering (e.g., orally) a residence structure to a subject (e.g., a patient) such that the residence structure is retained at a location internal to the subject for a particular amount of time (e.g., at least about 24 hours) before being released. The residence structure may be, in some cases, a gastric residence structure. In some embodiments, the structures and systems described herein comprise one or more materials configured for high levels of active substances (e.g., a therapeutic agent) loading, high active substance and/or structure stability in acidic environments, mechanical flexibility and strength in an internal orifice (e.g., gastric cavity), easy passage through the GI tract until delivery to at a desired internal orifice (e.g., gastric cavity), and/or rapid dissolution/degradation in a physiological environment (e.g., intestinal environment) and/or in response to a chemical stimulant (e.g., ingestion of a solution that induces rapid dissolution/degradation). In certain embodiments, the structure has a modular design, combining a material configured for controlled release of therapeutic, diagnostic, and/or enhancement agents with a structural material necessary for gastric residence but configured for controlled and/or tunable degradation/dissolution to determine the time at which retention shape integrity is lost and the structure passes out of the gastric cavity. For example, in certain embodiments, the residence structure comprises a first elastic component, a second component configured to release an active substance (e.g., a therapeutic agent), and, optionally, a linker. In some such embodiments, the linker may be configured to degrade such that the residence structure breaks apart and is released from the location internally of the subject after a predetermined amount of time.

Certain embodiments comprise administering a residence structure to a subject (e.g., a patient) such that the residence structure is retained at a location internal to the subject for a particular amount of time (e.g., at least about 24 hours) before being released. In certain embodiments, the structure has a modular design, combining a material configured for controlled release of therapeutic, diagnostic, and/or enhancement agents with a structural material necessary for gastric residence but configured for controlled and/or tunable degradation/dissolution to determine the time at which retention shape integrity is lost and the structure passes out of the gastric cavity. For example, in certain embodiments, the residence structure comprises a first elastic component, a second component configured to release an active substance, and, optionally, a linker. In some such embodiments, the linker may be configured to degrade.

Disclosed herein are star-shaped macromolecular structures comprising a hyper-branched silicon containing core grafted with a well-defined and controllable number of alkyl (methyl)acrylate (co)polymer arms. The presence of the robust inorganic core provides additional resilience against mechanical degradation and therefore enhanced additive life time. Control over the additive architecture was complemented by tunability of the length of the grafted polymers by making use of controlled radical based polymerization techniques. The performance of these novel inorganic-organic star-shaped hybrids were compared to traditional fully organic lubricant additives. Detailed analysis revealed the multi-functional character of the hybrids by simultaneously performing as bulk viscosity modifiers, boundary lubricant, and wear protectants while being dispersed in a commercially available base oil for automotive lubrication purposes.

There is provided a composition comprising: (i) a hyperbranched polymer having peripheral reactive groups comprising epoxy functional groups and hydroxyl functional groups; and (ii) a compound having one or more hydrophilic functional groups, wherein the amount of epoxy functional groups relative to the total number of peripheral reactive groups does not render the hyperbranched polymer from being indispersible in an aqueous solvent. There is also provided a method of preparing the same and uses thereof.

Provided are a reducible degradable hyperbranched-polymer nanomicelle and a method for preparation thereof and an application thereof. Cystamine and polyethylene glycol diglycidyl ether are polymerized by means of a nucleophilic addition mechanism; in one step, a hyperbranched polymer alternatingly arising from cystamine and polyethylene glycol structural units is synthesized and obtained; then, a hyperbranched nanomicelle is formed by means of self-assembly during the process of dialysis. The hyperbranched-polymer chain segments contain both tertiary aminos and disulfide bond structural units and have pH- and reduction responsiveness, and the hyperbranched three-dimensional cavity structure imparts a drug-carrying ability to the nanomicelle.

It is provided a thermoresponsive hydrogel, comprising dendritic polyglycerol units and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-co-polyethylene glycol units that are covalently bound to each other via a linker, wherein the linker is chosen from the group consisting of a cyclic triazol moiety and a diazacyclohexadiene moiety. This thermoresponsive hydrogel serves as microniche environment for the robust cultivation of cells such as induced pluripotent stem cells. The thermoresponsive hydrogel has a specific thermoreversible degradation capability enabling a controlled release of the expanded cells by only changing the temperature. This dramatically simplifies the process of cell harvesting.

There is disclosed certain hyperbranched polyester amides with end groups selected from: esters or amides of betaine-type end groups useful in various end uses such as a flocculent.

The invention relates to the field of antimicrobial materials, in particular to implantable and other medical devices exhibiting antimicrobial activity. Provided is a method for providing a substrate with an antimicrobial coating by immobilizing a quaternary ammonium compound onto the surface of said substrate, comprising the polycondensation of AB.sub.2 monomers comprising a secondary amine as A-group and blocked isocyanates as B-groups to obtain a low number average molecular weight polyurea of at least 2500 Da, contacting said polyurea with a surface grafted with coupling agent to covalently anchor the polyurea, and continuing polycondensation to obtain a hyperbranched polyurea coating; followed by immobilizing onto said coating a hydrophobic N-alkylated polyethylenimine (PEI) having antimicrobial properties.