A surface-treating agent comprising at least one perfluoro(poly)ether group containing silane compound of any of the formulae (A1), (A2), (B1), (B2), (C1) and (C2):

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wherein, each of symbols is as defined in the specification, wherein a proportion of the perfluoro(poly)ether group containing silane compound having a molecular weight of 3,000 or less in the perfluoro(poly)ether group containing silane compounds of any of the above general formulae is 9 mol % or less.

Provided are polymer-aerogel composite coatings, devices and articles including polymer-aerogel composite coatings, and methods for preparing the polymer-aerogel composite. The exemplary article can include a surface, wherein the surface includes at least one region and a polymer-aerogel composite coating disposed over the at least one region, wherein the polymer-aerogel composite coating has a water contact angle of at least about 140 and a contact angle hysteresis of less than about 1. The polymer-aerogel composite coating can include a polymer and an ultra high water content catalyzed polysilicate aerogel, the polysilicate aerogel including a three dimensional network of silica particles having surface functional groups derivatized with a silylating agent and a plurality of pores.

The present invention provides an aquatic organism repellent paint composition having good dispersion stability and capable of maintaining the repellent effect on aquatic organisms over a long time. The present invention relates to an aquatic organism repellent paint composition containing: a vinyl alcohol polymer (A) having a degree of saponification of more than 65 mol % and less than 88 mol %; an inorganic oxide (B); and a solvent (C).

A perfluoro(poly)ether group containing silane compound represented by the formula (1a) or the formula (1b):

A-RfXSiQ.sub.kY.sub.3-k(1a)

Y.sub.3-kQ.sub.kSiXRfXSiQ.sub.kY.sub.3-k(1b)

as defined herein. Also disclosed is a process for producing the compound, a surface-treating agent containing the compound, a pellet containing the surface-treating agent and an optical member including a base material and a layer formed on a surface of the base material from the compound.

A perfluoro(poly)ether group containing silane compound represented by the formula (1a) or the formula (1b):

A-RfXSiQ.sub.kY.sub.3-k(1a)

Y.sub.3-kQ.sub.kSiXRfXSiQ.sub.kY.sub.3-k(1b)

as defined herein. Also disclosed is a process for producing the compound, a surface-treating agent containing the compound, a pellet containing the surface-treating agent and an optical member including a base material and a layer formed on a surface of the base material from the compound.

In one aspect, composite polymeric compositions are described herein which, in some embodiments, are thermally responsive to electromagnetic radiation for the destruction of microbes and associated biofilms. Briefly, a composite polymeric composition comprises a polymeric matrix and photo-thermal particles comprising conjugated polymer dispersed in the polymeric matrix, the photo-thermal particles providing sufficient heat to destroy microbial species upon irradiation with infrared radiation.

A perfluoro(poly)ether group-containing silane compound including a structure represented by -PFPE-XSiR.sup.a.sub.kR.sup.b.sub.lR.sup.c.sub.m. In an exemplary embodiment, PFPE is a perfluoro(poly)ether group, X is a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, R.sup.a is a functional group comprising a Si, R.sup.c is a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group, k is an integer of 1 to 3, l and m are an integer of 0 to 2, respectively, and the sum of k, l and m in each SiR.sup.a.sub.kR.sup.b.sub.lR.sup.c.sub.m is 3. Also disclosed is a surface-treating agent containing the silane compound, a pellet containing the surface-treating agent and an article including a base material and a layer formed from the silane compound or the surface-treating agent on a surface of the base material.

The present invention is to provide an antifouling coating composition capable of forming an antifouling coating film that exhibits a high antifouling performance even in a marine area having a heavy fouling load by animal species such as barnacles, has excellent slime resistance, and is prevented from cracking. Further, the present invention is also to provide an antifouling coating film, a substrate with an antifouling coating film and a method of producing the substrate, and an antifouling method, each using the composition. The antifouling coating composition of the present invention contains a polyorganosiloxane block-containing hydrolyzable copolymer (A) and medetomidine (B), wherein the polyorganosiloxane block-containing hydrolyzable copolymer (A) contains (i) a constituent unit derived from a hydrolyzable group-containing monomer (a1) and (ii) a constituent unit derived from a polyorganosiloxane block-containing monomer (a2).

Marine coatings including cationic polymers hydrolyzable to nonfouling zwitterionic polymers, coated marine surfaces, and methods for making and using the marine coatings.

A (meth)acrylic copolymer of the present invention includes at least one constituent unit (A) selected from the group consisting of a constituent unit (A1) having at least one structure (I) represented by Formula (1), Formula (2), or Formula (3), a constituent unit (A2) containing a triorganosilyloxycarbonyl group, and a constituent unit (A3) having at least one structure (III) represented by Formula (4) or Formula (5), a constituent unit (B) derived from a specific polysiloxane block-containing polymerizable monomer (b), and a constituent unit (C) derived from a macromonomer (c).