Examples include a device including a nanovoided polymer element having a first surface and a second surface, a first plurality of electrodes disposed on the first surface, a second plurality of electrodes disposed on the second surface, and a control circuit configured to apply an electrical potential between one or more of the first plurality of electrodes and one or more of the second plurality of electrodes to induce a physical deformation of the nanovoided polymer element.

An example device includes a nanovoided polymer element, which may be located at least in part between the electrodes. In some examples, the nanovoided polymer element may include anisotropic voids, including a gas, and separated from each other by polymer walls. The device may be an electroactive device, such as an actuator having a response time for a transition between actuation states. The gas may have a characteristic diffusion time (e.g., to diffuse half the mean wall thickness through the polymer walls) that is less than the response time. The nanovoids may be sufficiently small (e.g., below 1 micron in diameter or an analogous dimension), and/or the polymer walls may be sufficiently thin, such that the gas interchange between gas in the voids and gas absorbed by the polymer walls may occur faster than the response time, and in some examples, effectively instantaneously.

The present application discloses a method of forming a hydrogel-coated substrate, wherein the hydrogel has antifouling and antimicrobial properties. The method comprises applying an aqueous pre-hydrogel solution to a substrate, polymerizing the aqueous pre-hydrogel solution, thereby forming a coated substrate having a conformal hydrogel coating and a non-conformal hydrogel coating, contacting the coated substrate with a swelling agent, and removing the non-conformal hydrogel coating from the coated substrate, thereby leaving the conformal hydrogel coating on the substrate to form the hydrogel-coated substrate. The aqueous pre-hydrogel solution comprises a monomer with antimicrobial activity, a monomer with antifouling activity, and either a polymer, oligomer, or macromer which, when polymerized together, form a hydrogel. Also disclosed is a coated substrate and a hydrogel coating.

A method for forming a conductive metal-polymer composite coated polymer includes providing a polymer substrate and immersing the polymer substrate in a metal solution. The method further includes decomposing the metal solution in a thermally controlled environment and reducing the metal solution to metal such that the metal is deposited on a surface of the polymer substrate. After reducing the metal solution, the method includes treating the surface with a polymer coating to form the metal-polymer composite coated polymer.

A Fresnel optical element includes a Fresnel surface formed in a material. The Fresnel surface includes a plurality of Fresnel feature that include an active surface and a draft surface. A light absorptive layer is selectively disposed over the draft surface of the Fresnel features. The light absorptive surface is configured to absorb a majority of visible light encountering the light absorptive layer.

Compositions of matter described as urea (multi)-urethane (meth)acrylate-silanes having the general formula R.sub.ANHC(O)N(R.sup.4)R.sup.11[OC(O)NHR.sub.S].sub.n, or R.sub.SNHC(O)N(R.sup.4)R.sup.11[OC(O)NHR.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.

Compositions of matter described as urea (multi)-urethane (meth)acrylate-silanes having the general formula R.sub.ANHC(O)N(R.sup.4)R.sup.11[OC(O)NHR.sub.s].sub.n, or R.sub.SNHC(O)N(R.sup.4)R.sup.11[OC(O)NHR.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.

Compositions of matter described as urea (multi)-urethane (meth)acrylate-silanes having the general formula R.sub.ANHC(O)N(R.sup.4)R.sup.11[OC(O)NHR.sub.S].sub.n, or R.sub.SNHC(O)N(R.sup.4)R.sup.11[OC(O)NHR.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.

Provided is a preparation method for a double-layer working medium target tape with a plasma-enhanced interfacial bonding force for a micro laser thruster. Aiming at the problem that in an existing micro laser thruster, when a working medium is ablated by a laser beam, due to a weak interlayer interfacial bonding force between a transparent film substrate and the coating working medium, sputtering or bulging occurs, which remarkably reduces propulsive performance, a method for treating a surface of a transparent film substrate with a low-temperature plasma is used to increase surface energy of a film and an adhesive force of a working medium layer on a surface of the film, thereby enhancing the interlayer interfacial bonding force. According to the method in the present disclosure, the transparent film substrate is treated with the low-temperature plasma.

Substrates having a textured surface that can maintain or improve droplet mobility in both the Cassie and Wenzel states include a textured surface and a conformal lubricant layer thereover. The textured surface can include a plurality of raised first elements and a plurality of second elements thereon and the conformal lubricant layer over the plurality of raised first elements and covering the plurality of second elements. The plurality of raised first elements can have an average height of between 0.5 m and 500 m, and the plurality of second elements can have an average height of between 0.01 m and 10 m. Such substrates can be prepared by texturing a surface of a substrate with a plurality of raised first elements and a plurality of second elements thereon; optionally silanizing the textured surface and applying a lubricant layer over the plurality of raised first elements and between the plurality of second elements.