A present disclosure relates to a metallic film manufacturing method including a first step of forming a layer which has functional groups ion-exchangeable with metal ions on a surface of a resin substrate made of an insulating material, a second step of treating the resin substrate having the layer with a metal ion solution such that metal ions are introduced into the layer by ion exchange, and a third step of treating the resin substrate with a reducing agent such that metal particles are precipitated on a surface of the layer. The present disclosure relates to a metallic film manufacturing method a metallic film in which there are voids between metal particles precipitated on a surface of the metallic film, and the average particle diameter of the metal particles is 5 nm to 200 nm.

The elastomeric electrode includes: a stretchable substrate 10 having wrinkles formed on one surface thereof, the peaks C and valleys T of the wrinkles being repeated; a wrinkled metal nanoparticle layer 20 including metal nanoparticles 21 and formed by deposition of the metal nanoparticles along the wrinkles of the substrate 10; and a wrinkled monomolecular layer 30 including a monomolecular material having one or more amine groups (—NH.sub.2) and formed by deposition of the monomolecular material onto the metal nanoparticle layer 20. Also disclosed is a method for preparing the elastomeric electrode.

Provided herein is a process for the pretreatment coating and subsequent lacquering of plastics substrates, wherein a pretreatment layer is produced on a plastics substrate via application, onto the plastics substrate, of a solution or dispersion including at least one organic solvent (L) and, dispersed or dissolved therein, at least one plastic (K), and subsequent evaporation to remove the organic solvent. Then a lacquer layer is produced on the pretreated plastics substrate.

Example methods include depositing a precursor layer onto a substrate where the precursor layer includes droplets comprising a polymerizable material, inducing a phase inversion in the precursor layer to obtain a modified precursor layer including droplets of a non-polymerizable liquid within a polymerizable liquid mixture, and polymerizing the polymerizable liquid mixture to obtain a nanovoided polymer element. Examples include devices fabricated using nanovoided polymer elements fabricated using such methods, including electroactive devices such as actuators and sensors.

An optical element includes a nanovoided polymer layer having a first refractive index in an unactuated state and a second refractive index different than the first refractive index in an actuated state. Compression or expansion of the nanovoided polymer layer, for instance, can be used to reversibly control the size and shape of the nanovoids within the polymer layer and hence tune its refractive index over a range of values, e.g., during operation of the optical element. Various other apparatuses, systems, materials, and methods are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a superhydrophobic coating film in which an aerogel nanocomposite is coated on a substrate to maximize water-repellent properties and durability, and a producing method thereof. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method of producing the superhydrophobic coating film using the aerogel nanocomposite includes (a) preparing a hydrophobic aerogel, (b) preparing a water-repellent solution by dissolving the hydrophobic aerogel in a hydrophobic inorganic nano-sol, (c) applying the water-repellent solution on at least one surface of a substrate, and (d) drying the substrate.

The present disclosure provides fluid barriers as well as systems and methods of forming fluid barriers. The method includes cleaning, via a blast media, a first side of a component and heating the component to a first temperature. Subsequently, the component is cleaned using a solvent. Subsequent to heating at least the component, a primer coating layer is formed on the first side of the component, and a topcoat layer is formed in contact with the primer coating layer. A primer coating material can be heated to a second temperature prior to formation of the primer coating layer. The first temperature can be different than the second temperature.

The present invention relates to an aqueous tire dressing composition comprising an acrylic resin, a polyacrylate, and a liquid carrier, and also to a method of treating a surface of a tire. The method of treating a surface of a tire comprises applying a first coat of the aqueous tire dressing composition to the surface of the tire, allowing the aqueous tire dressing to dry for an effective period of drying time, applying a second coat of the aqueous tire dressing composition to the surface of the tire, and allowing the aqueous tire dressing to cure for an effective period of curing time for achieving a clear, tack-free protective layer on the surface of the tire.

The invention relates to a method for functionalising a surface of a solid substrate with at least one acrylic acid polymer layer, said method including the steps of: i) placing the surface in contact with a solution having of at least one acrylic acid homopolymer, a solvent and, optionally, metal salts; ii) removing the solvent from the solution in contact with the surface; and iii) binding the polymer to the surface by thermal treatment.

A display device includes a scanned projector for projecting a beam of light, and a diffraction grating for dispersing the light at a plurality of angles into a waveguide, wherein at least a portion of the diffraction grating includes a nanovoided polymer. Manipulation of the nanovoid topology, such as through capacitive actuation, can be used to reversibly control the effective refractive index of the nanovoided polymer and hence the grating efficiency. The switchable grating can be used to control the amount of diffraction of an incident beam of light through the grating thereby decreasing optical loss. Various other methods, systems, apparatuses, and materials are also disclosed.