The antifouling film includes a polymer layer that includes on a surface thereof an uneven structure provided with multiple projections at a pitch not longer than a wavelength of visible light. The polymer layer has a proportion of the number of fluorine atoms relative to the sum of the numbers of carbon atoms, nitrogen atoms, oxygen atoms, and fluorine atoms of 33 atom % or more on the surface of the uneven structure. The polymer layer has at least one local maximum of the proportion of the number of nitrogen atoms relative to the sum of the numbers of carbon atoms, nitrogen atoms, oxygen atoms, and fluorine atoms in a region 5 to 90 nm deep from the surface of the uneven structure. The local maximum is 0.3 atom % or more greater than the average value in a region 90 to 120 nm deep from the surface of the uneven structure.

Biocompatible phase invertible proteinaceous compositions and methods for making and using the same are provided. The subject phase invertible compositions are prepared by combining a crosslinker and a proteinaceous substrate. The proteinaceous substrate includes one or more proteins and a polyamine, where the polyamine and a proteinaceous substrate are present in synergistic viscosity enhancing amounts, and may also include one or more of: a carbohydrate, a tackifying agent, a plasticizer, or other modification agent. In certain embodiments, the crosslinker is a heat-treated dialdehyde, e.g., heat-treated glutaraldehyde. Also provided are kits for use in preparing the subject compositions. The subject compositions, kits and systems find use in a variety of different applications.

An aldehyde scavenger for polyurethanes, including a reducing agent, a basic compound, an amine polymer having amino group-containing repeating units, and water. The reducing agent is preferably a complex metal hydride, more preferably sodium borohydride, and the amine polymer having amino group-containing repeating units is preferably at least one amine polymer selected from the group consisting of polyvinylamine, polyvinylalkylamines, polyalkyleneimines, polyaniline and salts thereof.

Thermoplastic polyamide moulding composition consisting of: (A) 30-99.9 percent by weight of at least one polyamide selected from the group consisting of: at least one aliphatic or semiaromatic polyamide, in each case with C:N ratio at least 8; at least one aliphatic or semiaromatic polyamide composed of at least one dicarboxylic acid and of at least one diamine and also optionally a proportion below 50 mol percent based on the entirety of dicarboxylic acids and diamine as 100 mol percent, of lactams and/or aminocarboxylic acids; and mixtures thereof; (B) 0.1-5.0 percent by weight of polyethyleneimine (PEI) or copolymers or derivatives thereof; (C) 0-60 percent by weight of fillers and/or reinforcing materials; (D) 0-5.0 percent by weight of additives;
where the entirety of (A)-(D) provides 100% of the thermoplastic polyamide moulding composition, and also uses of such moulding compositions in particular in the context of components bonded to mineral glass.

The invention particularly relates to a method of applying a permanent coating to a plastic surface of a first part, comprising the following steps: applying to said plastic surface a layer of a polyamide-based hot-melt material, maintaining this layer of hot-melt material on said plastic surface for a period of time ranging from a few minutes to several hours, removing this layer of hot-melt material from this plastic surface; and applying a permanent coating to said surface, said permanent coating being based on polyurethane, an epoxy resin or polyesters, a polycarbonate and/or an acrylic resin; as well as the use of such a method in the automotive industry.

An example device includes a nanovoided polymer element, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The nanovoided polymer element may be located at least in part between the first electrode and the second electrode. In some examples, the nanovoided polymer element may include anisotropic voids. In some examples, anisotropic voids may be elongated along one or more directions. In some examples, the anisotropic voids are configured so that a polymer wall thickness between neighboring voids is generally uniform. Example devices may include a spatially addressable electroactive device, such as an actuator or a sensor, and/or may include an optical element. A nanovoided polymer layer may include one or more polymer components, such as an electroactive polymer.

A form birefringent optical element includes a structured layer and a dielectric environment disposed over the structured layer. At least one of the structured layer and the dielectric environment includes a nanovoided polymer, the nanovoided polymer having a first refractive index in an unactuated state and a second refractive index different than the first refractive index in an actuated state. Actuation of the nanovoided polymer can be used to reversibly control the form birefringence of the optical element. Various other apparatuses, systems, materials, and methods are also disclosed.

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.

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.