The present application provides compositions and methods for allowing surfaces such as HDPE, LDPE, polyethylene, polypropylene, Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene), SBS, SEBS, SIS elastomers, and silicone rubber, which are notoriously difficult to apply adhesives, glues, or coatings to, to he treated with a Primer System that increases the ability of a glue, adhesive, or coating to adhere to that surface and subsequently allows other materials to be used as coatings on the surface or to be applied using a glue or adhesive.

A method is used to provide an electrically-conductive polyaniline pattern by providing a uniform layer of a photocurable composition on a substrate. The photocurable composition comprises a water-soluble reactive polymer comprising (a) greater than 40 mol % of recurring units comprising sulfonic acid or sulfonate groups, and (b) at least 5 mol % of recurring units comprising a pendant group capable of crosslinking via [2+2] photocycloaddition. The photocurable composition is exposed to cause crosslinking via [2+2] photocycloaddition of the (b) recurring units, thereby forming a crosslinked polymer. Any remaining water-soluble reactive polymer is removed. The crosslinked polymer is contacted with an aniline reactive composition having aniline monomer and up to 0.5 molar of an aniline oxidizing agent, thereby forming an electrically-conductive polyaniline disposed either within, on top of, or both within and on top of, the crosslinked polymer.

Urethane (multi)-(meth)acrylate (multi)-silane compositions, and articles including a (co)polymer reaction product of at least one urethane (multi)-(meth)acrylate (multi)-silane precursor compound. The disclosure also articles including a substrate, a base (co)polymer layer on a major surface of the substrate, an oxide layer on the base (co)polymer layer; and a protective (co)polymer layer on the oxide layer, the protective (co)polymer layer including the reaction product of at least one urethane (multi) (meth)acrylate (multi)-silane precursor compound. The substrate may be a (co)polymeric film or an electronic device such as an organic light emitting device, electrophoretic light emitting device, liquid crystal display, thin film transistor, or combination thereof. Methods of making urethane (multi)-(meth)acrylate (multi)-silane precursor compounds and their use in composite multilayer barrier films are also described. Methods of using such barrier films in articles selected from a solid state lighting device, a display device, and combinations thereof, are also described.

To provide a surface treatment method for hydrophilizing a surface of a treatment target and preventing charging by a simple and easy method and an anti-static agent. The present invention provides a surface treatment method. The method comprises an anti-static treatment step of coating a treatment target with an anti-static agent comprising an electrolyte (e1), a hydrophilic polymer (a) and water, and having electrical conductivity of 15 mS/m or more to obtain a coated film (A), drying the coated film (A) to obtain an anti-static layer, and a hydrophilizing treatment step of coating the anti-static layer with a hydrophilizing treatment agent comprising a hydrophilic polymer (b) and an alcohol to obtain a coated film (B), and drying the coated film (B), followed by rinsing thereof.

A method for depositing a film on a polymer substrate is disclosed. The method includes exposing a polymer substrate to a liquid comprising a first reactant to provide a plurality of reactive sites over the polymer substrate, wherein the first reactant comprises aluminum or boron; and introducing a second reactant comprising silicon in a vapor form to said plurality of reactive sites that provide a catalytic growth of the film, wherein the growth of the film is self-limited. In certain embodiments, the film can include silica, aluminum silicate, or borosilicate.

Compositions of matter described as urea (multi)-urethane (meth)acrylate-silanes having the general formula R.sub.A—NH—C(O)—N(R.sup.4)—R.sup.11—[O—C(O)NH—R.sub.S].sub.n, or R.sub.S—NH—C(O)—N(R.sup.4)—R.sup.11—[O—C(O)NH—R.sub.A].sub.n. Also described are articles including a substrate, a base (co)polymer layer on a major surface of the substrate, an oxide layer on the base (co)polymer layer; and a protective (co)polymer layer on the oxide layer, the protective (co)polymer layer including the reaction product of at least one urea (multi)-urethane (meth)acrylate-silane precursor compound. The substrate may be a (co)polymer film or an electronic device such as an organic light emitting device, electrophoretic light emitting device, liquid crystal display, thin film transistor, or combination thereof. Methods of making such urea (multi)-urethane (meth)acrylate-silane precursor compounds, and their use in composite films and electronic devices are also described. Methods of using multilayer composite films as barrier films in articles selected from solid state lighting devices, display devices, and photovoltaic devices are also described.

A coating composition for applying a very thin film coating to a substrate such as a polymeric film comprises a copolymer such as a block copolymer (BCP) that is compatible with the substrate, an alcohol solvent or solvents capable of dissolving the copolymer, a hydrolysed metal alkoxide precursor, a carboxylic acid stabiliser, and an active agent in an ionic, molecular, or small nanoparticle form. The active agent is configured to provide a functionality to the coating composition, selected from antimicrobial, antifungal, barrier, therapeutic, electrical, electronic, magnetic and optical. The composition is a sol comprising a continuous non-sedimentable/stable suspension of very small sized (of nano order) amorphous inorganic polymers in their oligomeric or polymeric state, and comprising the active agent dispersed in a hydrolysed metal alkoxide-BCP matrix. Substrates coated with very thin coatings are also provided, including coated LDPE which is activated before coating by UV/ozone, plasma or corona treatment prior to deposition of a wetting layer.

A method for rendering material surfaces inert is provided. Exemplary surfaces include ceramic, metal or plastic surfaces. The method is accomplished with functionalized perfluorinated compounds for the formation of hyperhydrophobic structures on the surfaces to create inert surfaces. The inert surfaces produced or can be produced in this way have an extremely low surface energy, are resistant to deposits of substances or cells and have a very low coefficient of friction. Practical uses of the inert surfaces are also provided.

Provided is a surface-metalized polymer article comprising a polymer component having a surface, a first layer of multiple functionalized graphene sheets having a first chemical functional group, multiple functionalized carbon nanotubes having a second chemical group functional group, or a combination of both, which are coated on the polymer component surface, and a second layer of a plated metal deposited on the first layer, wherein the multiple functionalized graphene sheets contain single-layer or few-layer graphene sheets and/or the multiple functionalized carbon nanotubes contain single-walled or multiwalled carbon nanotubes, and wherein the multiple functionalized graphene sheets or functionalized carbon nanotubes are bonded to the polymer component surface with or without an adhesive resin.

A form birefringent optical element includes a structured layer and a dielectric environment disposed over the structured layer. At least one of the structured layer and the dielectric environment includes a nanovoided polymer, the nanovoided polymer having a first refractive index in an unactuated state and a second refractive index different than the first refractive index in an actuated state. Actuation of the nanovoided polymer can be used to reversibly control the form birefringence of the optical element. Various other apparatuses, systems, materials, and methods are also disclosed.