Abstract: An article comprises a weatherable surface exposed to precipitation or airborne debris; and a weather resistant coating disposed on the weatherable surface, wherein the coating comprises component A, a one- or two-part room temperature vulcanizable polyorganosiloxane composition; and component B, an ice release-enhancing proportion of at least one polyorganosiloxane comprising one or more silanol or alkoxy-silyl groups and comprising from about 10 weight percent to about 85 weight percent of at least one hydroxy-terminated or alkoxy-terminated polyoxyalkylenealkyl radical; and any reaction products thereof.

Abstract: Articles having surfaces with enhanced wetting properties are presented. One embodiment is an article having a surface configured for promoting a phase transformation from a liquid phase to a vapor phase. The article comprises an element comprising a surface disposed to be in contact with a liquid to be transformed to a vapor, and the surface comprises a plurality of surface features having a median feature size, a, and a median feature spacing, b, such that the ratio b/a is up to about 8. The surface comprises a material disposed to contact the liquid, and this material has a nominal wettability sufficient to generate a nominal contact angle of up to about 80 degrees with a drop of the liquid. Another embodiment is a fuel rod for a nuclear reactor comprising a surface configured as described above.

Abstract: A coating composition is provided comprising: (i) a fluorinated polymer comprising (a) structural units having the formula (I): —CR1R2—CFX— ??(I) wherein R1 and R2 are each independently an alkyl group, a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a hydrogen atom or a trifluoromethyl group, and X is a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a hydrogen atom or a trifluoromethyl group, and (b) structural units comprising at least one type of crosslinkable functional group; (ii) a crosslinking agent; and (iii) a plurality of particles functionalized with a functional group, wherein the functional group on the particles is essentially non-reactive with the fluorinated polymer and with the crosslinking agent. Articles comprising a coating composition described in embodiments of the invention are also provided.

Abstract: An article comprising a surface portion is provided. The surface portion has a plurality of primary features, and the primary features have a height dimension in the range from about I micron to about 500 microns, an aspect ratio in the range from about 0.5 to about 10, and a spacing dimension in the range from about 0.5 to about 50 feature width units. The surface portion comprising the features has a wettability of the surface sufficient to generate, with a reference fluid, a static contact angle of greater than about 120 degrees and a total transmission of at least about 70% in the visible range of electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: An article having low wettability is presented. The article comprises a body portion and a surface portion disposed on the body portion. The surface portion comprises a plurality of features disposed on the body portion, and the features have a size, shape, and orientation selected such that the surface portion has a wettability sufficient to generate, with a reference liquid, a contact angle of at least about 100 degrees. The features comprise a height dimension (h) and a width dimension (a), and are disposed in a spaced-apart relationship characterized by a spacing dimension (b). The ratio of b/a and the ratio of h/a are such that the drop exhibits metastable non-Wenzel behavior.

Abstract: An apparatus for the transfer of heat is presented. The apparatus comprises a textured heat transfer surface disposed to promote condensation of a vapor medium to a liquid condensate, the surface comprising a plurality of surface texture features disposed on the heat transfer surface. The plurality of features has a median size, a median spacing, and a median height displacement such that the force exerted by the surface to pin a drop of condensate to the surface is equal to or less than an external force acting to remove the drop from the surface. Also included are heat pumps, systems for power generation, and distillation systems comprising the apparatus.

Abstract: A method for making an article with controlled surface wettability is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a substrate including a polymer; and inducing a phase transformation at a selected surface region of the substrate, such that the phase transformation forms a texture at the selected surface region. The texture includes a plurality of features having a largest characteristic dimension of up to about 50 microns. An article with controlled wettability is provided. The article has a selected surface region including a polymer. At least about 80% of surface area includes a plurality of features having a largest characteristic dimension of up to about 50 microns. The plurality of features further includes a plurality of nanoscale surface features and the selected surface region has the surface wettability sufficient to generate, with a reference fluid, a static contact angle of at least about 120° C.

Abstract: An article comprises a textured surface disposed on a substrate. The surface has an effective liquid wettability sufficient to generate, with a reference liquid, a contact angle in a range from about 120° to about 180°. The surface comprises a material having a nominal liquid wettability sufficient to generate, with the reference liquid, a nominal contact angle in a range from about 60° to about 90°, the material comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of a polymer and a ceramic. The properties of the surface may include low-drag or low-friction, self-cleaning capability, and resistance to icing, fouling, and fogging, and the like. Methods of making such a surface are also described.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating a semiconductor film with reduced defects comprising lithographically defined nanoscale features patterned into an underlying layer. A semiconductor film is then nucleated within the plurality of nanoscale features. The nanoscale features are aligned with specific crystallographic axes to allow for controlled growth rates. A semiconductor film produced with a greater than four orders of magnitude decrease in the threading dislocation density and thus improved optical and electrical transport properties. The invention applies to wide bandgap semiconductor films, however, also applies to any film-substrate combination where significant lattice and thermal expansion misfit occurs.

Abstract: A silicone composition is provided which comprises a vulcanizable adhesive formulation which comprises at least one oxygen-substituted allyl aromatic compound, a vinyl-containing polydiorganosiloxane, a hydrogen-containing polysiloxane, and a catalytic amount of a hydrosilylation catalyst. Further embodiments of the present invention include the oxygen-substituted allyl aromatic compound which provides adhesion to a substrate when present in a silicone composition and a method to provide cohesive failure to a silicone composition and a polyamide substrate.

Abstract: A method for making a coated substrate, a system, and articles made thereby are provided wherein the coated substrate comprises a coating composition and a substrate. The coating composition comprises an alkenyl functional compound and a hydride functional compound, and the substrate comprises a catalytically effective amount of a platinum group metal catalyst having the formula ZxPt(0)Ly wherein L comprises an electron-withdrawing ester ligand, a quinone-based ligand, or combination thereof, y is in a range between about 1 and about 4, Z comprises a coordinating ligand, and x is in a range between 0 and about 3 wherein x+y is in a range between about 2 and about 4.

Abstract: A silicone composition is provided which comprises a vulcanizable adhesive formulation which comprises at least one oxygen-substituted allyl aromatic compound, a vinyl-containing polydiorganosiloxane, a hydrogen-containing polysiloxane, and a catalytic amount of a hydrosilylation catalyst. Further embodiments of the present invention include the oxygen-substituted allyl aromatic compound which provides adhesion to a substrate when present in a silicone composition and a method to provide cohesive failure to a silicone composition and a polyamide substrate.

Abstract: A method for making a coated substrate, a system, and articles made thereby are provided wherein the coated substrate comprises a coating composition and a substrate. The coating composition comprises an alkenyl functional compound and a hydride functional compound, and the substrate comprises a catalytically effective amount of a platinum group metal catalyst having the formula ZxPt(0)Ly wherein L comprises an electron-withdrawing ester ligand, a quinone-based ligand, or combination thereof, y is in a range between about 1 and about 4, Z comprises a coordinating ligand, and x is in a range between 0 and about 3 wherein x+y is in a range between about 2 and about 4.

Abstract: A silicone composition is provided which comprises a room-temperature vulcanizable adhesive formulation which comprises at least one bis(trialkoxysilylalkyl)succinate, a vinyl-containing polydiorganosiloxane, a hydrogen-containing polysiloxane, and a catalytic amount of a hydrosilylation catalyst.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of introducing enhanced biofouling release properties to intact biofouling release coatings by exposing the surface of the biofouling release coating to a restorative compound for a time sufficient to effect enhancement of biofouling release properties. Also disclosed are kits useful in carrying out these processes.

Abstract: A condensation curable coating composition comprises the following and any reaction product thereof: (A) a room temperature vulcanizable polyorganosiloxane composition; and (B) a marine foul release-enhancing proportion of at least one organic compatible silicone fluid free from silanol groups and being capable of blooming to the surface of a cured product of component A.

Abstract: A silicone composition is provided which comprises a room-temperature vulcanizable adhesive formulation which comprises bis(trialkoxysilylalkyl)hydromuconate.

Abstract: Anti-fouling coatings comprise a room temperature vulcanizable polyorganosiloxane composition and a polyorganosiloxane free from silanol groups and comprising at least one hydroxy- or alkoxy-terminated polyoxyalkylenealkyl radical. The latter is capable of blooming to the surface of the cured room temperature vulcanizable composition, thus inhibiting the deposition of marine life on the coated article.

Abstract: A condensation curable coating composition comprises the following and any reaction product thereof: (A) a room temperature vulcanizable polyorganosiloxane composition; and (B) a marine foul release-enhancing proportion of at least one organic compatible silicone fluid free from silanol groups and being capable of blooming to the surface of a cured product of component A.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of introducing enhanced biofouling release properties to intact biofouling release coatings by exposing the surface of the biofouling release coating to a restorative compound for a time sufficient to effect enhancement of biofouling release properties. Also disclosed are kits useful in carrying out these processes.