There is provided a curable composition comprising a fluorinated block copolymer having (a) at least one A block, wherein the A block is a semi-crystalline segment comprising repeating divalent monomeric units derived from at least a fluorinated monomer; and (b) at least one B block, wherein the B block is a segment comprising repeating divalent monomeric units that comprises at least a fluorinated monomer and a nitrile-containing cure-site monomer.

A photoresponsive polymer that is fluidized by light irradiation and reversibly non-fluidized and contains a structural unit represented by a general formula (1) shown below:

##STR00001## wherein each substituent is defined as described in the specification.

A composition includes an isomerized polymer containing a structural unit containing an isomerized structure and an isomerized low molecular weight compound, the composition being fluidized by light irradiation from a solid state and being reversibly non-fluidized.

The present application may provide a block copolymer and a use thereof. The block copolymer of the present application has excellent self-assembly properties or phase separation characteristics, to which various functions to be required can also be freely imparted.

A water- and oil-repellent agent for fibers containing a bottle brush polymer having a structure represented by the following formula (1), wherein R.sup.1 is H or CH.sub.3; R.sup.2 is a divalent organic group; R.sup.3 is a polymer chain having a structure represented by the following formula (2) (wherein R.sup.4 is H or CH.sub.3; R.sup.5 is a C16-C40 monovalent hydrocarbon group; and n is an integer of 10 to 1000); and m is an integer of 10 to 5000:

##STR00001##

A method of carrying out an atom transfer radical polymerization wherein intermolecular crosslinking can occur includes controlling an amount of crosslinking by carrying out the reaction under conditions wherein catalytic radical termination is favored over radical termination.

A method of making a polymer having the structure (I): ##STR00001##
wherein L is a linking group, R is a hydrocarbon group or a substituted-hydrocarbon group, and x is 2 or more, preferably from 2 to 100, more preferably from 2 to 50; and wherein each {Q} is an identical polymer block or contains a plurality of polymer blocks. The method comprises reacting a di-halo initiator with a selected monomer one or more times and then reacting the resulting moiety with a dithiol compound of the structure HS—R—SH.

The invention provides novel compounds and methods that are useful in promoting reactions that proceed through an oxidative quenching pathway. In certain embodiments, the reactions comprise atom transfer radical polymerization.

Non-viral gene delivery agents can be provided comprising a polyamine comprising a polymer containing a secondary amine, wherein the polyamine and a derivative of a cyclopropenium ion that are covalently attached. The non-viral gene delivery agents can be formed by a click reaction combining a polyamine polymer precursor backbone with a trisaminocyclopropenium polymer. The non-viral gene delivery agents can be used to deliver genetic material to cells in mammals or other organisms as part of gene therapy.

Silica particles bonded to polymer chains consisting of at least one polymer comprising at least one fluorinated styrene repeating unit comprising at least one proton-conducting group, optionally in the form of a salt, the bonding between the particles and each of the chains being carried out by an organic spacer group.