A method of preparing a polymer comprises the use of free radical vinyl polymerisation to form carbon-carbon backbone segments of the polymer, wherein the longest chains in the polymer comprise vinyl polymer chains interspersed with other chemical groups and/or chains. The product has the characteristics of a step-growth polymer comprising a mixture of polyfunctional step-growth monomer residues formed by vinyl polymerization.

Compositions are provided according to aspects of the present invention that include a hydrogel and a liner, wherein a surface of the hydrogel dissociably-engages a surface of the liner. Compositions are provided according to aspects of the present invention that include a hydrogel and a hydrophobic glue, wherein at least a portion of the gel network of the hydrogel is occupied by the hydrophobic glue. Reverse coaling processes and articles of manufacture made by reverse coating processes are provided according to aspects of the present invention. Compositions are provided according to aspects of the present invention that include a hydrogel and a substrate, wherein: the hydrogel comprises a polymer network; the substrate comprises a surface comprising a polymer network; and the polymer network of the hydrogel and the polymer network of the surface are entangled.

Subject of the invention is a medical implant comprising a fiber reinforced silicone comprising (A) a silicone matrix and (B) fibers embedded in the silicone matrix, wherein the fibers comprise a comb polymer having a base polymer and side chains, wherein the base polymer is an organic polymer and the side chains comprise polysiloxanes. The invention also relates to outer shells of breast implants and uses and methods.

Described is a tri-block prepolymer having a chemical structure of [A]-[B]-[C], comprising at least one monovalent reactive group, wherein segment [A] and [C] independently comprise polymeric segments based on a first hydrophilic monomer comprising functionality selected from the group consisting of hydroxyalkyl, alkylamine, and mixtures thereof and optionally a second hydrophilic monomer, and [B] comprises a polymeric segment of at least one silicone-containing macromer and optionally a third hydrophilic monomer comprising functionality selected from the group consisting of hydroxyalkyl, alkylamine, and mixtures thereof and optionally a silicone-containing monomer. These prepolymers may be used alone or in combination with other components in reactive monomer mixtures for making silicone hydrogels and ophthalmic devices made therefrom, including contact lenses.

Hydrogenated polymers with a radial structure having a core made up of calixarenes of the general formula (I), to the core of which is linked a number P of hydrogenated linear polymer segments selected from: hydrogenated homopolymers or co-polymers of conjugated dienes; or hydrogenated co-polymers of said conjugated dienes and monoalkenyl arenes, and mixtures thereof said formula (I) in which: R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are independently selected from hydrogen; a group containing carbon and hydrogen; a group also containing heteroatoms in addition to carbon and hydrogen; a group also containing silicon in addition to carbon, hydrogen and heteroatoms; one of the two substituents R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 is hydrogen, while the other may be hydrogen or alkyl, with a number of carbon atoms between 1 and 6, preferably methyl and ethyl; n is an integer in the range between 4 and 16.

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Provided are: a semipermeable composite membrane having high fouling resistance against membrane; and a method for producing the semipermeable composite membrane. This semipermeable composite membrane comprises a substrate, a porous support layer disposed on the substrate, and a separation functional layer disposed on the porous support layer, wherein the separation functional layer contains: from the porous support layer side, a first layer containing a crosslinked aromatic polyamide which is a polymer of a polyfunctional aromatic amine and a polyfunctional aromatic acid chloride; and an aliphatic polyamide which is present on the first layer and which is a polymer of a polyfunctional aliphatic carboxylic acid and a polyfunctional aliphatic amine.

Zwitterionic monomers, carnitine-derived zwitterionic polymers, carnitine ester cationic monomers, carnitine ester cationic polymers, conjugate compositions including a carnitine-derived zwitterionic polymer, and related compositions' and methods are provided which have various uses including as coatings, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, encapsulation materials, and antifouling materials, among other utilities.

An elastomer is provided, which is a product of reacting C.sub.4-12 lactam, poly(C.sub.2-4 alkylene glycol), C.sub.4-12 diacid, and multi-ester aliphatic monomer. The C.sub.4-12 lactam and the poly(C.sub.2-4 alkylene glycol) have a weight ratio of 20:80 to 80:20. The total weight of the C.sub.4-12 lactam and the poly(C.sub.2-4 alkylene glycol) and the weight of the C.sub.4-12 diacid have a ratio of 100:0.5 to 100:10. The total weight of the C.sub.4-12 lactam and the poly(C.sub.2-4 alkylene glycol) and the weight of the multi-ester aliphatic monomer have a ratio of 100:0.01 to 100:5.

A rubber composition for a tire tread contains a diene rubber, silica, and a cured product; a content of the silica being from 20 to 100 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the diene rubber, a content of the cured product being from 0.3 to 30 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the diene rubber; the diene rubber containing a natural rubber and a modified butadiene rubber having a polyorganosiloxane group at a terminal, a content of the natural rubber in the diene rubber being from 30 to 90 mass %, a content of the modified butadiene rubber in the diene rubber being from 10 to 70 mass %; the cured product being a cured product obtained by curing a crosslinkable oligomer or polymer that is incompatible with the diene rubber; and a JIS A hardness of the cured product being from 3 to 45.

Provided herein are methods of forming solid-state ionically conductive composite materials that include particles of an inorganic phase in a matrix of an organic phase. The methods involve forming the composite materials from a precursor that is polymerized in-situ after being mixed with the particles. The polymerization occurs under applied pressure that causes particle-to-particle contact. In some embodiments, once polymerized, the applied pressure may be removed with the particles immobilized by the polymer matrix. In some implementations, the organic phase includes a cross-linked polymer network. Also provided are solid-state ionically conductive composite materials and batteries and other devices that incorporate them. In some embodiments, solid-state electrolytes including the ionically conductive solid-state composites are provided. In some embodiments, electrodes including the ionically conductive solid-state composites are provided.