Crosslinked polymers and related compositions and related compositions, electrochemical cells, batteries, methods and systems are described. The crosslinked polymers have at least one redox active monomeric moiety having a redox potential of 0.5 V to 3.0 V with reference to Li/Li.sup.+ electrode potential under standard conditions or −2.54 V to −0.04 V vs. SHE and has a carbocyclic structure and at least one carbonyl group or a carboxyl group on the carbocyclic structure. The crosslinked polymers also include at least one comonomeric moiety with at least one of the at least one redox active monomeric moiety and/or the at least one comonomeric moiety has a denticity of three to six corresponding to a three to six connected network polymer, and provide stable, high capacity organic electrode materials.

An anti-reflective hard mask comprises: (a) a terpolymer in the form of a hetero aromatic represented by chemical formula 1, or a terpolymer blend comprising same; and (b) an organic solvent.

##STR00001## wherein in the above Formula, X represents an oxygen, sulfur, or nitrogen atom, and n is 0 or 1, and Z group, as a monomer of the terpolymer, is a C6 to C40 aryl group and a heteroaryl group capable of forming a copolymer with the heteroaromatic monomer and a fluorenone derivative monomer, includes an ether bond or an amino bond, and R1 and R2 are hydrogen or a hydroxyl group, and are the same as or different from each other

Systems and methods for assisting the placement of a catheter within the body of a patient through the use of an ultrasound imaging system are disclosed. In particular, the systems and methods described herein enable a clinician to determine, prior to insertion of the medical device, how much of the device will be disposed within the vessel, thus enabling the clinician to choose a catheter with suitable length. In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging system for assisting with placement of the medical device comprises a console, a probe for producing an image of a target location, and a processor. The processor provides to a user proximity information relating to the anticipated proximity of the medical device to the target location prior to insertion of the medical device. A display is included for depicting the image, target location depth, and the proximity information of the medical device to the target location.

1) Hydrocarbon-based copolymer comprising two end groups preceded by an ester function and chosen from a 2-oxo-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl (or cyclocarbonate), a dithiocyclocarbonate, an exo-vinylene cyclocarbonate and a 2-oxo-1,3-dioxolen-4-yl, the main chain of which comprises units (I) and (II) ##STR00001## in which R.sup.0 is notably a methyl radical; and the number-average molecular mass Mn of which is between 400 and 100 000 g/mol. 2) Process for preparing said copolymer, comprising: (i) a step of heating a statistical bipolymer A chosen from a poly(butadiene-isoprene), a poly(butadiene-myrcene) and a poly(butadiene-farnesene); and then (ii) a step of heating the product formed, in the presence of a chain-transfer agent. 3) Use as adhesive, as a mixture with an amine compound comprising at least two amine groups.

The present invention provides efficient processes for preparing brush polymers. In general, the process comprises three distinct reaction steps utilizing two separate catalysts. In the first step, the initiating compound comprising norbornene is contacted with a silane in the presence of a catalyst, thereby forming a silated intermediate. This silated intermediate is then contacted with a monomer in the presence of a catalyst via Group Transfer Polymerization (GTP). The resulting compound from GTP is contacted with a ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) catalyst to prepare the brush polymer. Surprisingly, the brush polymers obtained from the above process are accessed in an efficient and rapid GTP methodology as compared to prior methods.

A material comprising a group of formula (I):

##STR00001##

wherein: X and Y are each independently selected from S, O or Se; Z is O, S, NR.sup.2 or CR.sup.3.sub.2
Ar.sup.1, A.sup.re, Ar.sup.3 and Ar.sup.4 are each independently an unsubstituted or a substituted benzene, an unsubstituted or a substituted 5- or 6-membered heteroaromatic group or are absent;
A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 are each independently an unsubstituted or a substituted benzene, an unsubstituted or a substituted 5- or 6-membered heteroaromatic group, a non-aromatic 6-membered ring having ring atoms selected from C, N, S and O or are absent; R.sup.1 is H or a substituent; R.sup.2 is H or a substituent;
each R.sup.3 is independently H or a substituent; and * represents a point of attachment to a hydrogen or non-hydrogen group. The material may be used as an electron donor or an electron acceptor in an organic photoresponsive device.

The present disclosure is directed to methods of making a polymer, including exposing a reaction mixture including a strained cyclic unsaturated monomer and an organic initiator to a stimulus to provide an activated organic initiator, whereby the activated organic initiator is effective to polymerize the strained cyclic unsaturated monomer via a 4-membered carbocyclic intermediate to provide a polymer having constitutional units derived from the strained cyclic unsaturated monomer.

This invention relates to compositions of conducting polymers and their producing methods and applications in sensing technology. The present conducting polymer comprises an electron deficient and an electron rich building block in an alternated repeating unit which can function as sensors to detect, qualify or quantify analytes in fluid and exhibit chemiresistive property and stable performance in normal room temperature and air pressure. In one embodiment, the present invention provides compositions of conducting polymers and devices comprising the present compositions or conducting polymers for sensor application. In another embodiment, the present invention provides methods of detecting target molecules using compositions, conducting polymers or devices of the present invention. The target molecules include without limitation volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are indicative of the presence or stage or a disease, or indicative of a health status of a subject.

1) Hydrocarbon-based copolymer comprising two end groups preceded by an ester function and chosen from a 2-oxo-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl (or cyclocarbonate), a dithiocyclocarbonate, an exo-vinylene cyclocarbonate and a 2-oxo-1,3-dioxolen-4-yl, the main chain of which comprises units (I) and (II)

##STR00001##

in which R.sup.0 is notably a methyl radical;

and the number-average molecular mass Mn of which is between 400 and 100 000 g/mol.

2) Process for preparing said copolymer, comprising:

(i) a step of heating a statistical bipolymer A chosen from a poly(butadiene-isoprene), a poly(butadiene-myrcene) and a poly(butadiene-farnesene); and then

(ii) a step of heating the product formed, in the presence of a chain-transfer agent.

3) Use as adhesive, as a mixture with an amine compound comprising at least two amine groups.

The present invention provides efficient processes for preparing brush polymers. In general, the process comprises three distinct reaction steps utilizing two separate catalysts. In the first step, the initiating compound comprising norbornene is contacted with a silane in the presence of a catalyst, thereby forming a silated intermediate. This silated intermediate is then contacted with a monomer in the presence of a catalyst via Group Transfer Polymerization (GTP). The resulting compound from GTP is contacted with a ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) catalyst to prepare the brush polymer. Surprisingly, the brush polymers obtained from the above process are accessed in an efficient and rapid GTP methodology as compared to prior methods.