The invention relates to the field of preparing aqueous dispersions of organic, organometallic or inorganic particles. In particular, the invention relates to the preparation of aqueous suspensions comprising organic, organometallic or inorganic particles and at least one particular copolymer obtained by polymerization of at least one acid and at least one compound or at least one ester derived from a particular acid, in the presence of water, at least one initiator compound and at least one activator compound, followed by total or partial neutralization by means of at least one compound chosen from alkali metal hydroxides, alkaline earth metal hydroxides, alkaline earth metal dihydroxides and mixtures thereof. The invention relates to such a particular copolymer having a low polydispersity index and weight-average molecular weight, the preparation process thereof and the use thereof, especially for the preparation of an aqueous paint composition.

A nanocomposite including a metal oxide and two-dimensional nanosheets. The metal oxid includes at least one of zirconia and titania, and the two-dimensional nanosheets include at least one of reduced graphene oxide and boron nitride. A weight ratio of the metal oxide to the two-dimensional nanosheets is in a range of 2:1 to 19:1, or in a range or 2:1 to 9:1. Making the nanocomposite includes forming a first aqueous dispersion including zirconia nanoparticles and graphene oxide powder, combining a reducing agent with the first aqueous dispersion, irradiating the first aqueous dispersion with microwave radiation, thereby yielding a second aqueous dispersion including zirconia and graphene, and separating the nanocomposite from the second aqueous dispersion, wherein the nanocomposite comprises zirconia and graphene.

An athermal optical waveguide structure such as an optical add drop multiplexer (OADM) or the like is fabricated by a method that includes forming a lower cladding layer on a substrate. A waveguiding core layer is formed on the lower cladding layer. An upper cladding layer is formed on the waveguiding core layer and the lower cladding layer a sol-gel material. The sol-gel material includes an organically modified siloxane and a metal oxide. A thermo-optic coefficient of the sol-gel material is adjusted by curing the sol-gel material for a selected duration of time at a selected temperature such that the thermo-optic coefficient of the sol-gel material compensates for a thermo-optic coefficient of at least the waveguiding core layer such that an effective thermo-optic coefficient of the optical waveguide structure at a specified optical wavelength and over a specified temperature range is reduced.

An athermal optical waveguide structure such as an optical add drop multiplexer (OADM) or the like is fabricated by a method that includes forming a lower cladding layer on a substrate. A waveguiding core layer is formed on the lower cladding layer. An upper cladding layer is formed on the waveguiding core layer and the lower cladding layer a sol-gel material. The sol-gel material includes an organically modified siloxane and a metal oxide. A thermo-optic coefficient of the sol-gel material is adjusted by curing the sol-gel material for a selected duration of time at a selected temperature such that the thermo-optic coefficient of the sol-gel material compensates for a thermo-optic coefficient of at least the waveguiding core layer such that an effective thermo-optic coefficient of the optical waveguide structure at a specified optical wavelength and over a specified temperature range is reduced.

A composite coating having a high refractive index, high Abbe number, low haze and high transmittance, suitable for fabricating nanoscale optical surface features includes a resin with a crosslinked polymer matrix having polymers with repeat units derived from acrylic or methacrylic monomers or oligomers and inorganic nanoparticles disposed within the resin, wherein the composite coating has a refractive index equal to or greater than 1.7 and a glass transition temperature equal to or greater than 60 C.

A composite coating having a high refractive index, high Abbe number, low haze and high transmittance, suitable for fabricating nanoscale optical surface features includes a resin with a crosslinked polymer matrix having polymers with repeat units derived from acrylic or methacrylic monomers or oligomers and inorganic nanoparticles disposed within the resin, wherein the composite coating has a refractive index equal to or greater than 1.7 and a glass transition temperature equal to or greater than 60 C.

Disclosed is an organic-inorganic hybrid composition. The organic-inorganic hybrid composition includes a curable resin and inorganic particles dispersed in the curable resin. The inorganic particle has a core-shell structure composed of a core containing titanium and barium, and a shell containing at least one selected from zirconium, aluminum and chromium. According to this organic-inorganic hybrid composition, a liquid-phase refractive index of the composition can be improved, and as a result, luminance and light transmittance can be improved in an optical member using the same.

Disclosed is an organic-inorganic hybrid composition. The organic-inorganic hybrid composition includes a curable resin and inorganic particles dispersed in the curable resin. The inorganic particle has a core-shell structure composed of a core containing titanium and barium, and a shell containing at least one selected from zirconium, aluminum and chromium. According to this organic-inorganic hybrid composition, a liquid-phase refractive index of the composition can be improved, and as a result, luminance and light transmittance can be improved in an optical member using the same.

An organic-inorganic hybrid composition including a polymer having a triazine ring structure in a main chain of the polymer (A);

an inorganic particulate (B); and a surface-treating agent having a triazine ring structure represented by Formula (1)(C):

##STR00001## wherein, in Formula (1), R.sub.1 is a carboxyl group, a phosphoric acid group, a sulfo group, or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted amino group, wherein a number median diameter (Dn50) of the inorganic particulate (B) is greater than or equal to about 1 nm and less than or equal to about 20 nm.

An organic-inorganic hybrid composition including a polymer having a triazine ring structure in a main chain of the polymer (A);

an inorganic particulate (B); and a surface-treating agent having a triazine ring structure represented by Formula (1)(C):

##STR00001## wherein, in Formula (1), R.sub.1 is a carboxyl group, a phosphoric acid group, a sulfo group, or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted amino group, wherein a number median diameter (Dn50) of the inorganic particulate (B) is greater than or equal to about 1 nm and less than or equal to about 20 nm.