A high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst, a method for fabricating the same, and applications of the same are disclosed. An organic complexing ligand, which is formed via mixing fatty alcohols and alicyclic carbonates, is used to generate a high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst. The high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst includes at least one double-metal-cyanide compound, at least one organic complexing ligand, and an optional functionalized polymer. The double-metal-cyanide catalyst of the present invention has a higher activity than the conventional double-metal-cyanide catalysts. The polyols generated by the present invention has an insignificant amount of high-molecular-weight compounds.

An alkylene oxide mixture containing greater than 50% by weight ethylene oxide is continuously polymerized in the presence of a double metal cyanide polymerization catalyst and an alkoxylated initiator having a hydroxyl equivalent weight of up to 200. The catalyst remains active, producing a polyol having an equivalent weight of up to 700 with a high oxyethylene content continuously at fast reaction rates.

An alkylene oxide mixture containing greater than 50% by weight ethylene oxide is continuously polymerized in the presence of a double metal cyanide polymerization catalyst and an alkoxylated initiator having a hydroxyl equivalent weight of up to 200. The catalyst remains active, producing a polyol having an equivalent weight of up to 700 with a high oxyethylene content continuously at fast reaction rates.

Provided is a silicone contact lens having surface hydrophilicity and surface lubricity. The silicone contact lens includes, on its surface, a graft polymer chain derived from a branched polyoxyethylene compound represented by the formula (1):

##STR00001##

where n represents from 3 to 1,150, a represents 0 or 2, and R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group.

Provided is a silicone contact lens having surface hydrophilicity and surface lubricity. The silicone contact lens includes, on its surface, a graft polymer chain derived from a branched polyoxyethylene compound represented by the formula (1):

##STR00001##

where n represents from 3 to 1,150, a represents 0 or 2, and R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group.

The invention relates to a transparent flexible hard coated film and a method of producing the same, and more particularly, to a transparent flexible hard coated film including a scratch-resistant surface and a method of producing the same.

The present teachings relate to curable linear polymers that can be used as active and/or passive organic materials in various electronic, optical, and optoelectronic devices. In some embodiments, the device can include an organic semiconductor layer and a dielectric layer prepared from such curable linear polymers. In some embodiments, the device can include a passivation layer prepared from the linear polymers described herein. The present linear polymers can be solution-processed, then cured thermally (particularly, at relatively low temperatures) and/or photochemically into various thin film materials with desirable properties.

In some embodiments, macromolecules and related methods are provided. In some embodiments, an iterative growth process may be used to form a macromolecule comprising one or more repeat units comprising a functionalizable pendant group, with precise control over mass, length, backbone sequence, pendant group sequence, and/or stereochemistry, amongst other features. Macromolecules (e.g., non-natural macromolecules) form from the iterative growth process, described herein, may be used for a wide variety of applications, including the delivery of active agents.

The present disclosure discloses a method for preparing a polyether polyol in a continuous reaction cycle. In the method, a low molecular-weight alcohol is polymerized with an alkylene oxide to obtain a low molecular-weight polymer. The low molecular-weight polymer is used as an initiator to react with the alkylene oxide and the low molecular-weight alcohol in the presence of a DMC catalyst and an acid promoter to obtain an intermediate-target polymer. A portion of the intermediate-target polymer is used for producing the target polymer, and the other portion is recycled for reproduction of the intermediate-target polymer. In the present disclosure, no initiator prepared with a base catalyst is used, and thus the loss of material and the discharge of residue and waste water are reduced. The DMC concentration is kept constant in the target polymer during the production such that the dewatering time and induction time are greatly reduced.

Waterborne coatings are described having an acceptable balance of properties both during the storage of coating, application and drying. The period in which irregularities in a freshly applied coating can be repaired without resulting in brush marks is referred to as the open time. Aqueous coatings generally employ dispersed high molecular weight polymers as binders. These binders often provide short open times when the coating is dried since the dispersed polymer particles tend to be immobilized quickly in the edge region of an applied coating. As a result, the viscosity of the coating increases rapidly, which leads to a limited window of workability. The instant invention provides additives that are not volatile but that will extend the time that the film is malleable after it is applied without interfering with other attributes, such as the resistance of the coating to freezing while in the can prior to application.