A pattern-forming method includes: forming a pattern on an upper face side of a substrate; applying a first composition to a sidewall of the pattern; forming a resin layer by applying a second composition to an inner face side of the sidewall of the pattern coated with the first composition; allowing the resin layer to separate into a plurality of phases; and removing at least one of the plurality of phases. The first composition contains a first polymer. The second composition contains a second polymer. The second polymer includes a first block having a first structural unit and a second block having a second structural unit. The polarity of the second structural unit is higher than the polarity of the first structural unit. Immediately before forming of the resin layer, a static contact angle θ (°) of water on the sidewall of the pattern satisfies inequality (1). $\begin{array}{cc}\alpha \ge \theta \ge \frac{\alpha +\beta }{2}& \left(1\right)\end{array}$

Described herein are associative polymers capable of controlling a physical and/or chemical property of non-polar compositions and related compositions, methods and systems. Associative polymers herein described have a non-polar backbone and functional groups presented at ends of the non-polar backbone, with a number of the functional groups presented at the ends of the non-polar backbone formed by associative functional groups capable of undergoing an associative interaction with another associative functional group with an association constant (k) such that the strength of each associative interaction is less than the strength of a covalent bond between atoms and in particular less than the strength of a covalent bond between backbone atoms.

Techniques disclosed herein relate to holographic optical materials and elements. An example of a holographic recording material includes matrix monomers characterized by a first refractive index and configured to polymerize to form a polymer matrix, writing monomers dispersed in the matrix monomers and characterized by a second refractive index different from the first refractive index, and a photocatalyst for controlled radical polymerization of the writing monomers. The writing monomers are configured to polymerize upon exposed to recording light. The photocatalyst is dispersed in the matrix monomers. The photocatalyst includes, for example, a transition metal photocatalyst or a metal-free organic photocatalyst, such as a photocatalyst for atom transfer radical polymerization or a transition metal photocatalyst for addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization.

The present invention relates to a polymerization process for the synthesis of vinyl aromatic polymers, in which the sequence of monomers in the chain and the linear, branched soluble, or crosslinked insoluble structure, with reactive or different polarity functions, are controlled. Said process comprises the step of polymerizing vinyl aromatic monomers by means of an Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) reaction with an Activator ReGenerated by Electron Transfer (ARGET), the reaction being carried out at a temperature comprised between 25° C. and 110° C. in an inert gas atmosphere in the presence of a complex catalyst containing a cupric halide and a multidentate amine ligand, feeding to the reaction an organic initiator having two geminal halogens, an alkali metal (bi)carbonate, a solvent pair of an aliphatic alcohol and an acetic ester of the same aliphatic alcohol and possibly ascorbic acid, provided that no initiator is used with three or more active halogens, or polyvinyl monomers or inimers.

The present invention discloses novel calibrants containing between 1 and 5 iodine atoms and methods of making them using linear polymers, hyperbranched polymers, and biological polymers (including but not limited to proteins and peptides.) Methods of using the calibrants are also disclosed, such as mass spectrometry. The novel calibrants disclosed herein have a more cost- and time-efficient synthesis than other calibrants.

A radiation-sensitive resin composition contains: a polymer having a first structural unit represented by formula (1), and a second structural unit represented by formula (2) and having an acid-labile group. A first acid, to be generated from the first acid generating agent, disassociates the acid labile group in the polymer upon heating under a condition involving a temperature of no less than 80° C. and no greater than 140° C. for a time period of 1 minute, and the second acid, to be generated from the second acid generating agent, does not substantially disassociate the acid-labile group under the condition. The polymer is synthesized by RAFT, ATRP, or NMP, and a RAFT agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of a mercaptocarboxylic acid ester, a disulfide, a dithioester, a xanthate, a dithiocarbamate, and a trithiocarbonate. ##STR00001##

The present invention relates to an aqueous autodeposition composition comprising iron(II) ions, fluoride ions, at least one chain transfer agent and at least one dispersed organic binder component, wherein the organic binder component comprises at least one water-dispersible polymerizable (meth)acrylic acid component; and at least one acrylated mono- or diphosphate ester component.

Provided is a copolymer exhibiting self-healing properties. The copolymer comprises first units comprising first pendant groups wherein the first pendant groups are alkyls having at least 1 to no more than 6 carbons. Second units comprising second pendant groups are alkyls having at least 2 to no more than 8 carbons. The first units and second units are in a molar ratio of 45/55 to 55/45 and the pendant groups form an inter-pendant space having a volume of at least 80 Ang..sup.3 to no more than 140 Ang..sup.3. The copolymer comprises no more than 3 adjacent first units and no more than 3 adjacent second units.

A dried polymer aerogel has a Brunauer-Emmett Teller (BET) surface area over 100 m2/g, porosity of greater than 10%, visible transparency greater than 20%, color rendering index of over 20%, and average pore size of less than 100 nm.

A polymer for a gel polymer electrolyte, a gel polymer electrolyte and a lithium secondary battery comprising the same are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a polymer for the gel polymer electrolyte includes a copolymer having a main chain and a first side chain and a second side chain bonded to the main chain, wherein the main chain contains a fluoropolymer, wherein the first side chain contains a siloxane group and the second side chain contains an acrylic polymer. The polymer improves stability of a gel polymer electrolyte and a lithium secondary battery including the same.