Provided is a water-repellent member in which a silica layer having a specific thickness and mainly composed of silica nanoparticles is provided on the outer surfaces of various substrates, and then a water- and oil-repellent layer having a specific thickness and containing a cured product of a fluorine-containing organosilicon compound as a main component is provided on the outer surface of the silica layer. The water-repellent member is obtained by a method comprising: a step for wet coating a dispersion containing silica nanoparticles and a solvent onto the outer surface of a substrate; a step for drying and removing the solvent from the dispersion; a step for wet coating a solution containing a fluorine-containing organosilicon compound and a solvent onto the outer surface of a silica layer formed by drying and removing the solvent; and a step for drying and removing the solvent from the solution to cure the fluorine-containing organosilicon compound. According to the water-repellent member, a water- and oil-repellent coating having excellent abrasion resistance can be reliably and easily applied to various substrates.

A modified conductive structure includes a conductive substrate and a polymer film disposed over a surface of the polymer film. A chemical bond exists between the polymer film and the conductive substrate, and the polymer film includes repeating units as shown below: ##STR00001## wherein A is an antifouling molecule group; B is a sulfur-containing group or a nitrogen-containing group; R is a single bond or a first linking group; C is -L-E, wherein L is a second linking group, E is an enzyme unit; x and z are each independently 0 or an integer from 1 to 10000, and y is an integer from 1 to 10000; o is 0 or an integer from 1 to 50, and when o is an integer from 1 to 50, m and n are each independently 0 or an integer from 1 to 50.

A hydroxyl-covered silicon quantum dot nanoparticle having a silicon core, a plurality of silicon quantum dots, and a plurality of hydrocarbon chains is illustrated. A first portion of a surface associated with the silicon core is passivated by a plurality of silicon hydroxyl groups (SiOH). The silicon quantum dots are attached to a second portion of the surface associated with the silicon core. The hydrocarbon chains are bonded to each of the silicon quantum dots through a plurality of silicon carbide bonds (SiC), wherein each termination of the hydrocarbon chains has a carbon hydroxyl group (COH), such that the hydroxyl-covered silicon quantum dot nanoparticle is thoroughly covered by the carbon hydroxyl groups (COH) and the silicon hydroxyl groups (SiOH).

Disclosed herein is a surfactant additive, ethylenediamine tetrakis(ethoxylate-block-propoxylate) tetrol with 16 ethylene oxide repeat units and 18 propylene oxide repeat units (known by its trade name as Tetronic 90R4) used as a droplet-additive, or to coat DMF driving electrode surfaces which dramatically improves the capability to work with high-protein-content liquids (e.g., whole blood) on digital microfluidic chips. This surfactant prevents protein adsorption and fouling of DMF electrode surfaces to an extent that was heretofore impossible. Specifically, this surfactant allows for the manipulation of droplets of undiluted whole blood for >1 hour per electrode (>1 50 times better than what is possible for any known additive). This improvement in handling high protein content media will revolutionize blood-based diagnostics on digital microfluidic platforms.

Provided is an anti-fouling laminate for use around water, including a substrate for use around water, and an anti-fouling resin layer disposed on the substrate, wherein the anti-fouling resin layer has a water sliding angle of less than 40, the anti-fouling resin layer has surface energy of 25 mJ/m.sup.2 or less, the anti-fouling resin layer is a cured product of an active energy ray curable resin composition, and the active energy ray curable resin composition includes urethane (meth)acrylate in an amount of from 55% by mass through 80% by mass relative to a total amount of monomers in the active energy ray curable resin composition, with the proviso that the urethane (meth)acrylate excludes urethane (meth)acrylate having a structure derived from polysiloxane.

The present disclosure provides a self-healing coating composition precursor that includes a soft segment precursor, a hard segment precursor, and a diol. The present disclosure also provides self-healing coatings including the same for scratches and deep cracks and/or anti-fouling property, and methods of preparation and use thereof.

The present invention provides a method for producing an optical film excellent in anti-fouling properties and scratch resistance as well as anti-reflection properties. The method includes the steps of: (1) applying a lower layer resin and an upper layer resin; (2) forming a resin layer having the uneven structure on a surface thereof by pressing a mold against the lower layer resin and the upper layer resin from the upper layer resin side in the state where the applied lower layer resin and upper layer resin are stacked; and (3) curing the resin layer, the lower layer resin containing at least one kind of first monomer that contains no fluorine atoms, the upper layer resin containing a fluorine-containing monomer and at least one kind of second monomer that contains no fluorine atoms, at least one of the first monomer and the second monomer containing a compatible monomer that is compatible with the fluorine-containing monomer and being dissolved in the lower layer resin and the upper layer resin.

The present invention provides a method for producing an optical film excellent in anti-fouling properties and scratch resistance as well as anti-reflection properties. The method includes the steps of: (1) applying a lower layer resin and an upper layer resin; (2) forming a resin layer having the uneven structure on a surface thereof by pressing a mold against the lower layer resin and the upper layer resin from the upper layer resin side in the state where the applied lower layer resin and upper layer resin are stacked; and (3) curing the resin layer, the lower layer resin containing at least one kind of first monomer that contains no fluorine atoms, the upper layer resin containing a fluorine-containing monomer and at least one kind of second monomer that contains no fluorine atoms, at least one of the first monomer and the second monomer containing a compatible monomer that is compatible with the fluorine-containing monomer and being dissolved in the lower layer resin and the upper layer resin.

A heat exchanger including an aluminum substrate, and a water-repellent coating provided on a surface of the aluminum substrate, wherein the aluminum substrate has an anodized film on the surface, and the water-repellent coating is a film formed of a fluoropolyether group-containing compound.

The invention relates to a coating composition comprising a) seawater-hydrolyzable groups covalently linked to a polymer backbone, which seawater-hydrolyzable groups are capable of undergoing hydrolysis or ion-exchange when exposed to sea-water, rendering the polymer partially soluble or dispersible in seawater, and b) zwitterionic groups covalently linked to a polymer backbone wherein the polymer backbones to which the sea-water-hydrolyzable groups and the zwitterionic groups are attached serve as a film-forming binder in the coating composition, and wherein the molar ratio of the seawater-hydrolyzable groups a) to the zwitterionic groups b) is 0.1 or higher. The invention also relates to a method of providing a substrate with anti-fouling performance and to a coated substrate.