Methods for forming and controlling morphology cracks in silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) film comprising: preparing SiO.sub.2precursor solution comprising solvent, precursor of SiO.sub.2, precursor of metal oxide nanocrystals, water, and acid; coating the solution onto substrate; drying the solution atop the substrate at a temperature between about 20° C. to 100° C. between 1 minute to 24 hours to form SiO.sub.2 film having uniformly dispersed metal oxide nanocrystals, wherein shorter drying times yield substantially spherical shaped metal oxide nanocrystals and longer drying times yield rod and disc shaped metal oxide nanocrystals; and thermally treating the SiO.sub.2 film between about 60° C. to 500° C. between 1 minute to 24 hours to form cracked mesh SiO.sub.2 film, wherein two cracks initiate from rod shaped metal oxide nanocrystals, three to four cracks initiate from spherical shaped metal oxide nanocrystals, and four or more cracks initiate from disc shaped metal oxide nanocrystals. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Multi-layer coatings comprising polymerization reaction products of 1,1-di-activated vinyl compounds are described. Also provided are processes for coating substrates with curable compositions comprising 1,1-di-activated vinyl compounds. Also provided are articles coated with this composition.

Waterproof composite fabrics comprising a textile layer and a continuous polymer layer that comprises adjoining first and second regions with different physical or visual properties, and knife-over-roll coating methods for 5 manufacturing said composite fabrics. The waterproof composite fabrics described are particularly suitable for covering medical support surfaces, for instance mattresses.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method comprising: obtaining a base formulation, obtaining an activator formulation, mixing the base formulation with the activator formulation, so as to result in a liquid applied roofing formulation, applying the liquid applied roofing formulation to at least one steep slope roof substrate, and solidifying the formulation, so as to form at least one coating layer on the at least one steep slope roof substrate. Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a liquid applied roofing formulation comprising a first part and a second part. In some embodiments, the first part comprises the base formulation and the second part comprises the activator formulation.

Methods for treating cellulosic materials comprising introducing a liquid treating composition into the cellulosic material, the treating composition comprising a solution prepared from at least: (i) one or more of a copper amine complex or copper ammine complex, such as copper tetraamine carbonate, (ii) one or more of ammonia or a water-soluble amine and (iii) water; and exposing the cellulosic material provided thereby to carbon dioxide and/or carbonic acid to provide treated cellulosic material, and treated cellulosic materials prepared thereby.

Present invention is related to a metallic particle-deposition substrate having a metal substrate and multiple metallic particles attached thereon. The metallic particles are nano-particles with at least 90% of these nano-particles as single layer being evenly dispersed on the metal substrate. Each of the metallic particle is isolated without toughing or overlapping. The metal substrate has different material than the metallic particles in each preferred embodiment in the present invention. More preferably, at least 80% of the metallic particles have the distance between each metallic particle is at a range of 2-6 nm for better generation of hotspot effects. The present invention provides a fast production method for producing the substrate with heterogeneous interface. The metallic particles are evenly attached to the surface of the metal substrate to obtain better surface enhanced Raman effect as to apply for sensors in all kinds of field.

An aqueous white conductive primer coating composition, includes: a binder component (A); and a carbon nanotube dispersion liquid (B); and a coating film formed by the aqueous white conductive primer coating composition has an L* value of whiteness based on a CIE color-matching function of 80 or more and a surface resistivity of 10.sup.8 Ω/□ or less.

Water-responsive actuators and methods for creating water responsive actuators are disclosed. In some embodiments, the disclosed subject matter includes a first layer, for example a plastic tape, and a second layer, for example bacterial spores and cured adhesive. The second layer can be created in a pattern. The pattern can include joints, which can contract when exposed to dry air and can thereby bend the actuator, and can expand when exposed to humid air and thereby return the actuator its original position.

Compositions and methods for coupling metals to aluminum surfaces are provided. The compositions are prepared as aqueous solutions or suspensions, and can be applied to the aluminum surface using conventional printing techniques. Rheology of the printable composition can be adjusted to provide a gel or a cream. Curing steps, if necessary, are performed at low temperatures that are compatible with plastic/polymer components of mass produced devices, such as aluminum RFID antennae.

The multilayer coating film formation method for forming a multilayer coating film on a substrate comprises the steps of: applying an undercoat paint composition (X) comprising an antioxidant (a1) to a substrate to form at least one layer of an uncured first coating film; applying a topcoat paint composition (Y) containing a carboxy-containing polymer (b1) and an epoxy-containing acrylic resin (b2) to the first coating film to form an uncured second coating film; and simultaneously heating the uncured first coating film and the uncured second coating film to cure the films.