Provided are a nanocomposite body, a method of manufacturing the nanocomposite body, and a nanocomposite film including the nanocomposite body. The nanocomposite body includes: inorganic particles; a polymer matrix; and grafting polymer chains each of which includes a polyol structure, wherein the inorganic particles and the polymer matrix are linked by the grafting polymer chains.

This invention provides a method for creating a large-scale of amphiphilic particles. The method includes: adding nanoparticles into a polycarbonate-based solution, adding a surfactant into the solution while performing ultra-sonication to generate polymer precipitation, creating at least one microsphere with the nanoparticles embedded onto it, subjecting the exposed hemisphere of the embedded nanoparticles to a further amphiphilic particles related modification, and dissolving the at least one microsphere in a polycarbonate-based solution in order to free said embedded nanoparticles from the at least one microsphere.

Provided herein is a multifunctional particle and methods of forming the same. The multifunctional particle includes a surface of the particle; a first moiety coupled to the surface and having at least one substantially hydrophobic appendage; and a second moiety coupled to the surface and having at least one appendage comprising a reactive functional group and a substantially hydrophilic repeating unit, whereby the particle is substantially superhydrophobic as a result of the substantially hydrophobic appendage, chemically reactive as a result of the reactive functional group, and migratory to a surface of a substantially hydrophobic matrix in which the particle may be included as a result of the substantially hydrophilic repeating unit. Additionally, antimicrobial functional groups may be coupled to the surface.

A method for manufacturing pigmentary titanium dioxide particles coated with a SiO.sub.2 coating layer includes steps of (i) forming an aqueous dispersion containing rutile titanium dioxide particles having an average particle size of in a range of 7-1000 nm, (ii) introducing to said dispersion of step (i) a silicon containing compound and a base, (iii) adding to the dispersion obtained from step ii acid, (iv) repeating the steps ii and iii at least once. Finally, the pH of the dispersion is lowered to a value within the range from 1.9 to 9.0 before filtering and washing thus obtained product.

A system and method for producing an aerogel composite material includes a reaction vessel having a movable carrier basket for receiving a plurality of fiber mats, and a plurality of plates to space the fiber mats apart from one another. Once the plates have been removed, there are gaps between the aerogel insulating boards, through which hot drying air can be blown during a drying process. The method has the advantage that the quantities of solvents and reagents to be disposed of are minimal, and in addition thereto, no complex work-up processes are necessary.

The present invention relates to an inorganic material comprising particles of three-dimensional ordered macroporous structure comprising spherical pores, said pores having an average pore diameter ranging from 50 nm to 10 m, the pore diameter varying by no greater than 20%, the surface of said pores being coated by an absorber agent of the visible wavelength spectrum, said particles having an average largest dimension ranging from 1 to 50 m, and wherein said particles are coated with at least a hydrophobic component. The invention further relates to a process for preparing said inorganic material.

Coating compositions are described including silica nanoparticles functionalized with an alkenyl silane, a dispersing agent, and a compound including a polyethylene oxide segment containing at least one hydroxyl group, at least one silane, and optionally a hydrophobic group. The coating compositions further include at least two multifunctional (meth) acrylate monomers. Also described are articles including the dried and cured coating composition disposed on a substrate. The articles exhibit anti-fog characteristics and often also mechanical durability.

This surface-treated sol-gel silica is characterized by containing sol-gel silica having an average particle size of 0.05 m or more and 2.0 m or less as measured by laser diffraction scattering and a surface treatment agent on the surface of the sol-gel silica. In a dispersion produced by dispersing 5 mass % of the sol-gel silica in ethanol by emitting ultrasonic waves at 40W for 10 minutes, the content of particles with particle sizes of 5 m or more is 10 ppm or less in a particle number size distribution obtained by a Coulter counter method.

A production method for an electronic material filler includes: a preparation step of preparing a silica particle material produced by a dry method; and a first surface treatment step of performing surface treatment on the silica particle material with a silane compound having a vinyl group, a phenyl group, a phenylamino group, an alkyl group having four or more carbon atoms, a methacryl group, or an epoxy group, to obtain a first surface treatment-processed particle material. After the silica particle material is produced by the dry method, the silica particle material is not brought into contact with liquid water, and has a particle diameter of 100 nm to 600 nm or a specific surface area of 5 m.sup.2/g to 35 m.sup.2/g.

A production method for an electronic material filler includes: a preparation step of preparing a silica particle material produced by a dry method; and a first surface treatment step of performing surface treatment on the silica particle material with a silane compound having a vinyl group, a phenyl group, a phenylamino group, an alkyl group having four or more carbon atoms, a methacryl group, or an epoxy group, to obtain a first surface treatment-processed particle material. After the silica particle material is produced by the dry method, the silica particle material is not brought into contact with liquid water, and has a particle diameter of 100 nm to 600 nm or a specific surface area of 5 m.sup.2/g to 35 m.sup.2/g.