The present invention relates to a film, in particular to a laser writable film, and to substances used therein, and components thereof. The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing the film, uses thereof and products comprising the film.

An optical element includes a substrate and a light-shielding film on a part of the periphery of the substrate. The light-shielding film contains a compound having an epoxy group, a coloring agent, inorganic particles having a refractive index of 2.2 or more, and silica particles. The average concentration of the inorganic particles in an interface region having a thickness of 15 nm from the interface between the substrate and the light-shielding film is 1.1 to 1.5 times as high as the average concentration of the inorganic particles in the light-shielding film.

The present invention provides an antifouling coating formed from a water-based coating composition comprising 0.1% by mass to 10% by mass of ultrafine silica particles having an average particle size equal to or less than 25 nm, 5% by mass to 50% by mass, relative to the ultrafine silica particles, of a zirconium compound which is at least one selected from zirconium chloride and zirconyl chloride, and 30% by mass to 99.5% by mass of water. In accordance with the present invention, it is possible to provide an antifouling coating that can maintain the antifouling performance and hydrophilicity and prevent corrosion of fins even under an environment with a large amount of contaminating substances, such as metal particles, in the air.

An antibacterial device is disclosed that includes a substrate and an antibacterial coating or antibacterial surface being provided on at least a part of the substrate's surface. The antibacterial coating or surface includes Angstrom scale flakes, where the Angstrom scale flakes are arranged in a standing position on the substrate surface and are attached to the substrate surface via edge sides thereof. The Angstrom scale flakes can, for example, be graphene flakes, or graphite flakes having a thickness of a few atom layers. It has been found that such standing flakes are efficient in killing prokaryotic cells but do not harm eukaryotic cells.

The present invention relates to a flexible plastic film, and more specifically to a flexible plastic film having excellent flexibility while exhibiting high hardness. According to the present invention, the flexible plastic film exhibits flexibility, bending property, high hardness, scratch resistance and high transparency, and hardly has a risk of damaging the film even in repetitive, continuous bending or long-time folding state, and thereby can be usefully applied to flexible mobile devices, display devices, front face and display unit of various instrument panels, and the like.

The present invention relates to preparation and use of nanocellulose fibrils or crystals such as disintegrated bacterial nanocellulose, tunicate-derived nanocellulose, or plant-derived nanocellulose, together with carbon nanotubes, as a biocompatible and conductive ink for 3D printing of electrically conductive patterns. Biocompatible conductive bioinks described in this invention were printed in the form of connected lines onto wet or dried nanocellulose films, bacterial cellulose membrane, or tunicate decellularized tissue. The devices were biocompatible and showed excellent mechanical properties and good electrical conductivity through printed lines (3.8.Math.10.sup.1 S cm.sup.1). Such scaffolds were used to culture neural cells. Neural cells attached selectively on the printed pattern and formed connective networks. The devices prepared by this invention are suited as bioassays to screen drugs against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, study brain function, and/or be used to link the human brain with electronic and/or communication devices. They can also be implanted to replace neural tissue or stimulate guiding of neural cells. They can also be used to stimulate the heart by using electrical signaling or to repair myocardial infarction and/or damage related thereto.

A process for producing nano veneers generally involving: placing a veneer to be treated in a vacuum vessel; adding a nano carbon powder and nano silicon dioxide suspension in the vacuum vessel; reducing the pressure in the vessel over a first period of time; increasing the pressure in the vessel; letting the contents of the vessel rest over a second period of time. The veneer may optionally be subjected to ultrasonic treatment, ultraviolet solidification treatment, or subsequent pressurization treatments to obtain the final nano veneer product. As a result, veneer manufactured using embodiments of the present invention will have the advantages of high strength, wear resistance, pollution resistance, acid and alkali resistance, water segregation and decay resistance.

Variations of this invention provide durable, impact-resistant structural coatings that have both dewetting and anti-icing properties. The coatings in some embodiments possess a self-similar structure that combines a low-cost matrix with two feature sizes that are tuned to affect the wetting of water and freezing of water on the surface. Dewetting and anti-icing performance is simultaneously achieved in a structural coating comprising multiple layers, wherein each layer includes (a) a continuous matrix; (b) discrete templates dispersed that promote surface roughness to inhibit wetting of water; and (c) nanoparticles that inhibit heterogeneous nucleation of water. These structural coatings utilize low-cost, lightweight, and environmentally benign materials that can be rapidly sprayed over large areas using convenient coating processes. The presence of multiple layers means that if the surface is damaged during use, freshly exposed surface will expose a coating identical to that which was removed, for extended lifetime.

This disclosure relates to a nanoporous composition including a number of clusters of nanoparticles dispersed in a liquid, a nanoporous layer formed of the nanoporous composition, a glucose-oxidation electrode including the nanoporous layer, and a glucose-sensing device and system including the glucose-oxidation electrode. This disclosure also relates to a method of making the nanoporous composition, the nanoporous layer, the glucose-oxidation electrode and the glucose-sensing device and system. Further, this disclosure also relates to devices, systems and methods for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and blood glucose monitoring (BGM).

A self-healing polymer is described herein, including a first carbon nanotube filled with at least a first healing agent, wherein the first carbon nanotube has first and second ends, wherein a first end cap is closed on the first end of the first carbon nanotube and a second end cap is closed on the second end of the first carbon nanotube, and a second carbon nanotube filled with at least a second healing agent, wherein the second carbon nanotube has first and second ends, wherein a first end cap is closed on the first end of the second carbon nanotube and a second end cap is closed on the second end of the second carbon nanotube.