This disclosure includes a polymer blend comprising. The polymer blend includes at least 60% by weight olefin-based polymer, and a diblock copolymer comprising an non-polar block and a polar block, wherein the diblock copolymer has a number average molecular weight number (M.sub.n) less than 5000 g/mol as determined by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (.sup.1H NMR); and wherein the non-polar block and the polar block are connected by a thiol linkage.

Block copolymers for use in block copolymer lithography, self-assembled films of the block copolymers and methods for polymerizing the block copolymers are provided. The block copolymers are characterized by high Flory-Huggins interaction parameters (). The block copolymers can be polymerized from protected hydroxystyrene monomers or from tert-butyl styrene and 2-vinylpyridine monomers.

The present invention relates to a composition comprising a polymeric elastomeric phase and an odoriferous active compound. In particular the present invention relates to a composition comprising a polymeric elastomeric phase and an odoriferous active compound and releasing said odoriferous active compound over a given period of time. The present invention concerns also objects comprising a polymeric elastomeric phase and an odoriferous active compound and releasing said odoriferous active compound over a given period of time.

A resin composition is provided which has high transparency, light guiding properties and luminescent properties and can guide light therethrough with little change in chromaticity. A shaped article such as an optical element including the resin composition is also provided. The resin composition includes an acrylic block copolymer (A) and a light diffusing agent (B), wherein the acrylic block copolymer (A) has at least one structure in which polymer blocks (a1) based on methacrylic acid ester units are bonded to both ends of a polymer block (a2) based on acrylic acid ester units, and has a weight average molecular weight of 10,000 to 150,000 and a tensile elastic modulus of 1 to 1,500 MPa, the light diffusing agent (B) is rutile titanium oxide having an average particle size of 0.5 to 2.0 m, and the content of the light diffusing agent (B) is 0.5 to 10 ppm (on mass basis) based on the acrylic block copolymer (A).

A selective modification method of a base material surface includes subjecting at least a part of a surface of a base material to at least one surface treatment selected from the group consisting of an oxidization treatment and a hydrophilization treatment. The base material includes a surface layer and includes an oxide, a nitride or an oxynitride of silicon, or a combination thereof in a first region of the surface layer. A nonphotosensitive composition is applied directly or indirectly on the surface of the base material after the surface treatment. The nonphotosensitive composition includes: a first polymer containing a nitrogen atom; and a solvent. It is preferred that the base material contains a metal in a second region which is other than the first region of the surface layer. In the surface treatment step, an O.sub.2 plasma treatment is preferably conducted.

The present invention relates to thermally and chemically stable quantum dots encapsulated with functional polymeric ligands, a thermally stable quantum dot optical film using the encapsulated quantum dots, and a method for preparing the encapsulated quantum dots. The coating of the surface of the quantum dots with the polymer stabilizes the quantum dots and improves the durability and dispersibility of the quantum dot optical film, achieving markedly improved efficiency of photoluminescent quantum dot devices. Therefore, it is anticipated that the present invention will pave the way for practical use of quantum dots in a variety of light-emitting applications, particularly in high power light-emitting sources, to find commercial application in various fields, including displays, bioimaging, lightings, and photovoltaic cells.

The disclosed subject matter relates to a block polymer comprising structure (1): (A)-(C)-(B), wherein (A) is a first polymer block segment comprising a block segment selected from structure (1a), structure (1b), and a mixture of structures (1a) an (1b), (C) is a spacer moiety comprising structure (1c); and wherein B) is a second polymer block segment comprising repeat units derived from either an alkyl 2-methylenealkanoate, a lactone; a cyclic carbonate, an oxirane, or an oxetane. The disclose matter also pertains to a composition of said block polymer in a spin casting solvent and using this solution in a process of directed self-assembly.

A pattern-forming method includes: applying a radiation-sensitive composition containing a polymer and a radiation-sensitive acid generating agent on a surface of a substrate to form a coating film on the surface of the substrate; exposing the coating film; and developing the coating film exposed. The polymer has a first structural unit represented by formula (1). In the formula (1), R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, a fluorine atom, or a trifluoromethyl group; and A represents a monovalent organic group having a nitrogen atom.

##STR00001##

A composition for forming a phase-separated structure contains a block copolymer having a block (b1) consisting of a repeating structure of a styrene unit and a block (b2) consisting of a repeating structure of a methyl methacrylate unit, in which the block (b2) is disposed at least at one terminal portion of the block copolymer, the block copolymer has a structure (e1) represented by General Formula (e1) at least at one main chain terminal, and the structure (e1) is bonded to the main chain terminal of the block (b2) disposed at a terminal portion of the block copolymer. Re.sup.e0 represents a hydrocarbon group containing a hetero atom, and Re1 represents a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom.

##STR00001##

The invention relates to a block-co-polymer comprising at least one first block and at least one second block which is different from the first block, wherein the first block comprises repeating units 1, and the second block comprises repeating units 2, wherein Z represents O or NH, R.sub.1 represents H or CH.sub.3, R.sub.2 represents a group selected from hydrocarbyl groups and ether group-containing groups, R.sub.3 represents an organic group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 independently represent an organic group, wherein R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are optionally linked to each other to form a cyclic structure, and wherein the first block comprises wherein the first block comprises at least two different types of repeating units comprising ether groups.

##STR00001##