Abstract: The invention concerns a medical or veterinary device comprising a covalently immobilized and cross-linked agarose coating, a method for the production of same and a cross-linked agarose coating.

Abstract: The invention concerns a medical or veterinary device comprising a covalently immobilized and cross-linked agarose coating, a method for the production of same and a cross-linked agarose coating.

Abstract: A compound comprises a polymeric chain with a repeat unit repeated more than 5 times. The repeat unit comprises conjugated first and second cyclic groups and a plurality of side groups each bonded to one of the cyclic groups. A side group bonded to the first cyclic group is an electron donor and a side group bonded to the second cyclic group is an electron acceptor, such that the compound is switchable between first and second electrical conductive states by application of an electric field to the compound. At least one of the side groups is selected so that the compound is soluble in an organic solvent. The compound may be used in films, memory cells, or electronic devices. A layer of the compound may be formed on a surface by dissolving the compound in an organic solvent, applying the solution to the surface, and then removing the solvent.

Abstract: A compound comprises a polymeric chain with a repeat unit repeated more than 5 times. The repeat unit comprises conjugated first and second cyclic groups and a plurality of side groups each bonded to one of the cyclic groups. A side group bonded to the first cyclic group is an electron donor and a side group bonded to the second cyclic group is an electron acceptor, such that the compound is switchable between first and second electrical conductive states by application of an electric field to the compound. At least one of the side groups is selected so that the compound is soluble in an organic solvent. The compound may be used in films, memory cells, or electronic devices. A layer of the compound may be formed on a surface by dissolving the compound in an organic solvent, applying the solution to the surface, and then removing the solvent.

Abstract: The invention relates to copolymer complexes of the formula (I): wherein [Ax-[B(C)]y-Dz] denotes a single unit of the copolymer complex that is repeated n times, wherein n is an integer greater than one, and wherein the single unit comprises a conjugated backbone coordinated to a complex (C) comprising rare earth metal(s); x, y and z are numbers greater than zero such that x=y+z; A is independently selected from a group consisting of: fluorene, carbazole, oxadiazole, triphenylamine or derivatives thereof; B is a functional ligand selected from the group consisting of: benzoic acid, 1,3-diphenylpropane-1,3-dione, 1,10-phenanthroline, 2,2-bipyridine, or derivatives thereof; and D is independently selected from a group consisting of: fluorene, carbazole, oxadiazole, triphenylamine or derivatives thereof.

Abstract: An electrically conductive polymeric article exhibiting enhanced conductivity including a polymeric material capable of exhibiting electrical conductivity; the polymeric material being rendered electrically conductive by treatment with UV or near UV irradiation in the presence of a viologen salt.

Abstract: The invention relates to copolymer complexes of the formula (I): wherein [Ax-[B(C)]y-Dz] denotes a single unit of the copolymer complex that is repeated n times, wherein n is an integer greater than one, and wherein the single unit comprises a conjugated backbone coordinated to a complex (C) comprising rare earth metal(s); x, y and z are numbers greater than zero such that x=y+z; A is independently selected from a group consisting of: fluorene, carbazole, oxadiazole, triphenylamine or derivatives thereof; B is a functional ligand selected from the group consisting of: benzoic acid, 1,3-diphenylpropane-1,3-dione, 1,10-phenanthroline, 2,2-bipyridine, or derivatives thereof; and D is independently selected from a group consisting of: fluorene, carbazole, oxadiazole, triphenylamine or derivatives thereof.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of enhancing the stability of electroactive polymers, redox active materials, or a composite comprising an electroactive polymer and a redox active material, which comprises depositing on the electroactive polymers, the redox active materials, or the composite, a fluoropolymer by radio frequency sputtering. The invention also relates to electroactive polymers, redox active materials, or a composite comprising an electroactive polymer and a redox active material, that bears a radio frequency sputtered fluoropolymer coating.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of enhancing the stability of electroactive polymers, redox active materials, or a composite comprising an electroactive polymer and a redox active material, which comprises depositing on the electroactive polymers, the redox active materials, or the composite, a fluoropolymer by radio frequency sputtering. The invention also relates to electroactive polymers, redox active materials, or a composite comprising an electroactive polymer and a redox active material, that bears a radio frequency sputtered fluoropolymer coating.

Abstract: A method for determining the areas of resin to be cured in an optical stereolithography process for rapid prototyping using sequential laser curing of layers of a resin having a selected thickness to produce a desired shape of cured resin. The method includes the steps of generating a computer model of desired shape and dividing the model into layers of thickness equal to the thickness of the layers each defining an area of resin to be cured. A set of layers including and sequentially adjacent an intermediate layer is selected and the areas in the intermediate layer of resin which would be oversized by laser curing of layers later in the curing sequence is determined. The 2-D layer data used to build a 3-D model is modified to compensate for the oversizing and the steps repeated by sequentially selecting sets of layers to include substantially all of the layers as the intermediate layer.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for the lamination of fluoropolymers to the surfaces of metals, and especially to copper, gold, and platinum, and to printed circuit board (PCB) substrate at temperatures substantially below the sintering temperatures or melting temperatures of the fluoropolymers. More specifically, the invention is directed to a method for surface modification of fluoropolymers by thermal graft copolymerization with concurrent lamination of metals in the presence of a functional monomer and an adhesive such as an epoxy resin. The process can be carried out under atmospheric conditions and in the complete absence of an added polymerization initiator. The laminated fluoropolymer-metal or fluoropolymer-PCB substrate interfaces exhibit T-peel strengths of no less than 8 N/cm. This invention can also be applied to substantially improve the adhesion between PCB substrates and metals.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for the lamination of metals, and especially copper, to the surface of polyimides and derivatives of polyimides at temperatures substantially below the curing temperature of the imide polymers. More specifically, the invention is directed to a method for surface modification of polyimides and derivatives of polyimides by thermal graft copolymerization and interfacial polymerization with concurrent lamination of the metal of interest in the presence of an appropriate functional monomer. The process can be carried out under atmospheric conditions and either in the presence or the complete absence of an added polymerization initiator. The so laminated polyimide-metal interfaces exhibit T-peel adhesion strengths in excess of 16 N/cm. The adhesion strength also exceeds the fracture strength of polyimide films with a thickness of 75 &mgr;m.

Abstract: An electrically conductive polymeric article exhibiting enhanced conductivity including a polymeric material capable of exhibiting electrical conductivity;

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for the lamination of metals, and especially copper, to the surfaces of fluoropolymers at temperatures substantially below the sintering temperatures or melting temperatures of the fluoropolymers. More specifically, the invention is directed to a method for surface modification of fluoropolymers by thermal graft copolymerization with concurrent lamination of a metal (e.g. copper) in the presence of a functional monomer. The process can be carried out under atmospheric conditions and in the complete absence of an added polymerization initiator. The so-laminated fluoropolymer-metal interfaces exhibit T-peel strengths of no less than 8 N/cm and delaminate via cohesive failure inside the fluoropolymer.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a process for imparting adhesive-free adhesion characteristics (i) between two polymer films, (ii) between a polymer film and a polymer fiber, and (iii) between the surface of a polymer fiber or film and a polymer matrix. The adhesive-free adhesion properties of the polymer film and fiber surfaces are introduced through a method for modification of a pre-activated polymer surface via near-UV-light induced or thermally-induced surface graft copolymerization with a functional monomer. The adhesive-free adhesion may be a result of dispersive interaction, chain entanglement, electrostatic interaction, ionic interaction, acid/base interaction, H-bonding and/or covalent bonding of the resulting grafted functional polymer(s) at the interface, or of the resulting grafted functional polymer and the polymer matrix.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a process for reducing the oxidation state of a metal by contacting an acidic solution of the metal with an electroactive polymer, and accumulating and recovering the metal. More particularly, the invention is directed to a method for recovering precious metals like gold, platinum, palladium, and gold-platinum alloys from acidic solution by contacting the solution with an electroactive polymer like polyaniline or polypyrrole.

Abstract: A simple chemical process for the simultaneous polymerization and oxidation of pyrrole, N-substituted pyrroles, and other heterocycles having five or six member rings by halogenic or organic electron acceptors. The polypyrrole-acceptor charge transfer complexes so produced are of high purity and are stable in the atmosphere, in the presence of moisture and at elevated temperatures. The conductivities of the complexes are controllable between 30 ohm.sup.-1 cm.sup.-1 and 10.sup.-3 ohm-1 cm-1, depending on the type of acceptor used and the process conditions.