Abstract: A water electrolyzer comprises a reservoir of water, one or more cells, a source of pulse width modulated direct current electricity, a positive terminal, a negative terminal, and a cooling system. Said electrode cells are submerged in said reservoir of water. Said source of pulse width modulated direct current electricity attaches to said positive terminal and said negative terminal of said water electrolyzer. Said electrode cells each comprise a cathode having a positive terminal and an anode having a negative terminal. Said cathode and said anode comprise different materials. Said positive terminal attaches to said electrode cells with one or more positive lines. Said negative terminal attaches to said electrode cells with one or more negative lines. Said cooling system is capable of cooling said reservoir of water. Said water electrolyzer produces and can deliver one or more gases through a fluid connection with an engine.

Abstract: The invention provides polymers, methods of preparing polymers, and compositions that include polymers, wherein said polymers include a plurality of two-carbon repeating units in a polymer chain, wherein one or more of the two-carbon repeating units of the polymer chain have tertiary amine or pyridine-containing substituents; and at least about 10% of the nitrogen atoms of the tertiary amine or pyridine-containing substituents are quaternized with alkyl groups or with an alkyl group that contains one or more ethylene glycol groups. The alkyl or ethoxylated alkyl groups can also be at least partially fluorinated. The polymers can be used to provide antimicrobial surfaces and antifouling coatings.

Abstract: The invention provides polymers, methods of preparing polymers, and compositions that include polymers, wherein said polymers include a plurality of two-carbon repeating units in a polymer chain, wherein one or more of the two-carbon repeating units of the polymer chain have tertiary amine or pyridine-containing substituents; and at least about 10% of the nitrogen atoms of the tertiary amine or pyridine-containing substituents are quaternized with alkyl groups or with an alkyl group that contains one or more ethylene glycol groups. The alkyl or ethoxylated alkyl groups can also be at least partially fluorinated. The polymers can be used to provide antimicrobial surfaces and antifouling coatings.

Abstract: Semicrystalline polyolefins with narrow molecular weight distributions characterized by a low polydispersity index (PDI) and selected from the families of homopolymers, statistical copolymers, block copolymers, and graft copolymers, can be blended with a low molecular weight fluid diluent to create gel fiber and film compositions. These gel compositions, when subjected to mechanical or thermomechanical processing, either before or after removal of the diluent, result in fiber or film compositions that combine high tensile strength with other desirable physical properties, such as high rigidity, large extension at break, and/or high recoverable elasticity. These desirable combinations of properties are superior to those obtained from gel-processed semicrystalline polyolefins that are substantially similar in composition and molecular weight, but that have large PDIs.

Abstract: A “high internal phase polymeric emulsion” (“HIPPE”) composition is described which comprises an emulsion of a discrete phase (component A) and a continuous phase (component B), wherein the volume fraction of the discrete phase is the majority fraction (on a volume basis) of the total volume of the emulsion. A compatibilizer, component C, is used to lower the interfacial tension between the phases containing components A and B. A process is described for creating such HIPPE composition in which the A component is a colloidal polymer particle.

Abstract: A process for producing bi-continuous morphologies in polymer melts and solids, wherein two distinct domains or phases percolate and macroscopically connect throughout the composition. The process proceeds by simply mixing the components in a common solvent and casting a film by slow removal of the solvent. Bulk materials can be produced by mixing the components in an extruder, compounder, or other specialized equipment for processing molten polymers, and forming into a pellet, fiber, film, sheet, or molded part. The invention allows the production of materials with unique or unusual combinations of transparency, high electronic or ionic conductivity, high vapor transport rates, and/or high absorption rates of moisture or vapors . Particles used in the present invention are 5-10 nm to yield a scale of the bi-continuous structures of 10-50 nm. The materials can be produced in bulk form, or in films 1-100 microns thick.

Abstract: The invention provides polymers, methods of preparing polymers, and compositions that include polymers, wherein said polymers include a plurality of two-carbon repeating units in a polymer chain, wherein one or more of the two-carbon repeating units of the polymer chain have tertiary amine or pyridine-containing substituents; and at least about 10% of the nitrogen atoms of the tertiary amine or pyridine-containing substituents are quaternized with alkyl groups or with an alkyl group that contains one or more ethylene glycol groups. The alkyl or ethoxylated alkyl groups can also be at least partially fluorinated. The polymers can be used to provide antimicrobial surfaces and antifouling coatings.

Abstract: A method and resultant device, in which metal nanoparticles are self-assembled into two-dimensional lattices. A periodic hole pattern (wells) is fabricated on a photoresist substrate, the wells having an aspect ratio of less than 0.37. The nanoparticles are synthesized within inverse micelles of a polymer, preferably a block copolymer, and are self-assembled onto the photoresist nanopatterns. The nanoparticles are selectively positioned in the holes due to the capillary forces related to the pattern geometry, with a controllable number of particles per lattice point.

Abstract: A method of preparing a polymer having a tapered block copolymer structure. The method comprises polymerizing a first olefin monomer and a different second olefin monomer in the presence of a catalyst supporting living or quasi-living polymerization. In certain embodiments, the catalyst comprises two neutral metal complexes. In preferred embodiments, a tapered block copolymer structure is formed by adding one monomer in a single batch at the start of the polymerization reaction, and adding a second monomer throughout the course of the reaction. The present invention also provides polymers having one or more tapered block copolymer sections, and compositions based on these polymers.

Abstract: A “high internal phase polymeric emulsion” (“HIPPE”) composition is described which comprises an emulsion of a discrete phase (component A) and a continuous phase (component B), wherein the volume fraction of the discrete phase is the majority fraction (on a volume basis) of the total volume of the emulsion. A compatibilizer, component C, is used to lower the interfacial tension between the phases containing components A and B. A process is described for creating such HIPPE composition in which the A component is a colloidal polymer particle.

Abstract: A method and resultant device, in which metal nanoparticles are self-assembled into two-dimensional lattices. A periodic hole pattern (wells) is fabricated on a photoresist substrate, the wells having an aspect ratio of less than 0.37. The nanoparticles are synthesized within inverse micelles of a polymer, preferably a block copolymer, and are self-assembled onto the photoresist nanopatterns. The nanoparticles are selectively positioned in the holes due to the capillary forces related to the pattern geometry, with a controllable number of particles per lattice point.