A method for producing an electrically conductive thin film on a substrate is disclosed. Initially, a reducible metal compound and a reducing agent are dispersed in a liquid. The dispersion is then deposited on a substrate as a thin film. The thin film along with the substrate is subsequently exposed to a pulsed electromagnetic emission to chemically react with the reducible metal compound and the reducing agent such that the thin film becomes electrically conductive.

The invention provides, in some aspects, methods for fabricating an electrode comprising a nickel/molybdenum (NiMo) hydrogen evolution reaction catalyst on a carbon support, e.g., for use as a cathode in an electrolyzer. A catalyst of the type described above can be prepared by co-precipitation of nickel and molybdenum oxide species on the carbon support followed by its reduction through heat treatment in the presence of nitrogen. Such a catalyst can alternatively be prepared through the thermal degradation of metal-organic complexes of nickel and molybdenum in the presence of the carbon support. Further aspects of the invention comprise a cathode, e.g., for an anion exchange membrane electrolyzer, comprising a nickel/molybdenum hydrogen evolution reaction catalyst as described above. Still further aspects of the invention comprise an anion exchange membrane electrolyzer with a cathode as described above.

The present invention discloses a novel activator system for electroless metallization deposition, particularly activators that may be free of tin and surfactants. Activators of the invention are preferably employed for electroless copper deposition.

The present invention concerns a tin plating bath comprising tin ions; at least one complexing agent selected from the group consisting of pyrophosphate ions, linear polyphosphate ions and cyclic polyphosphate ions and a nitrogen and sulfur containing stabilizing additive and titanium (III) ions as a reducing agent suitable to reduce tin ions to metallic tin. The present invention further discloses a method of depositing tin or a tin alloy onto a surface of a substrate. The tin plating bath is particularly suitable to be used in the electronics and semiconductor industry.

The invention relates to a method for producing a particulate carrier material provided with silver and ruthenium, comprising the following steps: a) providing a water-insoluble particulate carrier material and aqueously dissolved silver and ruthenium precursors, b) bringing the particulate carrier material into contact with the aqueous solution of the precursors to form an intermediate, c) bringing the intermediate into contact with an aqueous hydrazine solution having a pH of >7 to 14 to form a mass comprising silver and ruthenium, d) optionally washing the obtained mass, and e) removing water and other possible volatile components from the mass.

The invention relates to a method for functionalising a surface of a solid substrate with at least one acrylic acid polymer layer, said method including the steps of: i) placing the surface in contact with a solution having of at least one acrylic acid homopolymer, a solvent and, optionally, metal salts; ii) removing the solvent from the solution in contact with the surface; and iii) binding the polymer to the surface by thermal treatment.

A method of electroless nickel plating on surface of silicon carbide powder with a uniform and stable coating. In this method, ultrasonic assist is introduced in the pre-treatment and during plating process, and the powder particles in the liquid are dispersed and deagglomerated by the mechanical action and cavitation of the ultrasonic waves, thereby achieving a uniform dispersion of the powder in the dispersant. Furthermore, a reducing agent is slowly added during plating so as to give a more uniform and stable deposition of the coating onto the surface of the powder particles, and thus a silicon carbide core-nickel shell structure with an excellent powder dispersibility and a uniform and stable coating is produced.

A one-pot process for the electroless-plating of silver onto graphite powder is disclosed. No powder pretreatment steps for the graphite, which typically require filtration, washing or rinsing, are required. The inventive process comprises mixing together three reactant compositions in water: an aqueous graphite activation composition comprising graphite powder and a functional silane, a silver-plating composition comprising a silver salt and a silver complexing agent, and a reducing agent composition.

The invention relates to nickel-coated hexagonal boron nitride nanosheet composite powder, its preparation and high-performance composite ceramic cutting tool material. The composite powder has a core-shell structure with BNNS as the core and Ni as the shell. The self-lubricating ceramic cutting tool material is prepared by wet ball milling mixing and vacuum hot-pressing sintering with a phase alumina as the matrix, tungsten-titanium carbide as the reinforcing phase, nickel-coated hexagonal boron nitride nanosheet composite powder as the solid lubricant and magnesium oxide and yttrium oxide as the sintering aids. The invention also provides preparation methods of the nickel-coated hexagonal boron nitride nanosheet composite powder and the self-lubricating ceramic cutting tool material.

The present invention relates to methods of immobilising metals on polymeric surfaces using surfactants and to products that can be formed by such methods. Polymer substrates with metal immobilised on the surface are very useful in a variety of applications. The metal is usually in the form of a nanoparticle. A major use of the invention is in catalysts. The invention can also be used in medical applications, such as to make antimicrobial surfaces.