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.

A polyolefin multilayer microporous membrane is disclosed. The polyolefin multilayer microporous membrane has a low air permeability value, maintains high porosity and mechanical strength even when formed into a thin film. The polyolefin multilayer microporous membrane also has excellent impedance characteristics. The polyolefin multilayer microporous membrane has excellent battery characteristics when used as a battery separator.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe carbocyclic pseudo Trger's base (CTB) amines. Embodiments of the present disclosure further describe microporous polymers derived from pseudo CTB amines, including, but not limited to, polyimides, CTB ladder polymers, and network porous polymers. Other embodiments describe a method of separating chemical species in a fluid composition comprising contacting a microporous polymer membrane with a fluid composition including at least two chemical species, wherein the microporous polymer membrane includes one or more of a ladder polymer of intrinsic microporosity, a microporous polyimide, and a microporous network polymer; and capturing at least one of the chemical species from the fluid composition.

Fiber-reinforced organic polymer aerogels, articles of manufacture and uses thereof are described. The reinforced aerogels include a fiber-reinforced organic polymer matrix having an at least bimodal pore size distribution with a first mode of pores having an average pore size of less than or equal to 50 nanometers (nm) and a second mode of pores having an average pore size of greater than 50 nm and a thermal conductivity of less than or equal to 30 mW/m.Math.K at a temperature of 20 C.

Disclosed herein is a porous material comprising a biopolymer functionalized with a carbon dioxide capturing moiety; where the biopolymer is in the form of a foam or an aerogel having a bulk density of 500 grams per cubic meter to 2500 grams per cubic meter. Disclosed herein too is a method comprising functionalizing a biopolymer with a carbon dioxide capturing moiety; dissolving the biopolymer in an aqueous solution to form a first solution; reducing the temperature of the first solution to below the freezing point of the aqueous solution; displacing the aqueous solution with a first solvent that has a lower surface tension than a surface tension of the aqueous solution; and drying the first solvent to produce a porous biopolymer having a bulk density of 500 grams per cubic meter to 2500 grams per cubic meter.

The present invention relates to a porous organic polymer-based hydrogen ion conductive material and a method for preparing the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for preparing a porous organic polymer (POP)-based material with high proton conductivity that is applicable to a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). The porous organic polymer-based proton conductive material of the present invention can be prepared in an easy and simple manner by microwave treatment and acid treatment requiring short processing time and low processing cost. In addition, the porous organic polymer-based proton conductive material of the present invention can be developed into a highly proton conductive material having the potential to replace Nafion through a simple post-synthesis modification. Therefore, the porous organic polymer-based proton conductive material of the present invention is suitable for use in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell.