Abstract: A polymer foam is produced comprising a polymer and nanoparticles having a maximum dimension of 750 nm, which foam has cells with an average cell size of at most 1 ?m and a cell density of at least 1012 cells/ml, wherein polymeric grafts have been attached to the nanoparticles. The nanoparticles may be particles with a solid core or porous hollow core-shell particles. The foam can be manufactured by dispersing the nanoparticles in a polymer to yield a dispersion; by adding a blowing agent to the dispersion to obtain an expandable mixture; and by foaming the expandable mixture to obtain the polymer foam.

Abstract: An amphiphilic polymer (A) comprising repeat units of the general formulae (I), (II) and (III): or salts thereof, wherein R1 is H or methyl, R2 is an aliphatic moiety with a main chain of 3 to 30 carbon atoms and 0 to 3 heteroatoms selected from the group N, O, S, Se and Si, and R3 is one of (i) an alicyclic moiety with a main chain of 5 to 80 carbon atoms and 0 to 30 heteroatoms (ii) a moiety —Z—R4 wherein R4 is an alicyclic moiety with a main chain of 5 to 80 carbon atoms and 0 to 30 heteroatoms and Z is an aliphatic bridge of 1 to 3 carbon atoms and 0 to 2 heteroatoms, (iii) an aliphatic moiety with a main chain of 3 to 80 carbon atoms and 0 to about 30, and a C?C group or an azido group.

Abstract: Monomelic materials are described, comprising inorganic nanoparticles having covalently bonded to their surface at least one polymerizable organic moiety, preferably an ethylenically unsaturated organic moiety. These monomeric materials combine desirable properties of the inorganic particulate material and of the organic monomer, in addition to having the unique properties of nano-sized particles.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of preserving a sensor in a container, said sensor comprising a sensing area of metallic or a semi-conducting material covered with molecules having a MW>100 Dalton, said molecules being bound to the material wherein at least the sensing area of the layer is kept submerged in a storage solution, said storage solution having a composition that consists for at least 80% by volume of at least one compound chosen from water, ethanol, triethylene glycol and isopropanol, with the provisios that if the concentration of ethanol is at least 80 vol. % of the storage solution ethanol is present in a concentration of no more than 93% by volume of the storage solution; if water is present, it is present in a concentration of less than 80% by volume of the storage solution. The invention also relates to a container containing a sensor and a storage solution.

Abstract: The invention relates to an amphiphilic polymer (A) comprising repeat units of the general formulae (I), (II) and (III): or salts thereof, wherein the repeat unit of general formula (I) is comprised in the amphiphilic polymer with a number of m units, the repeat unit of general formula (II) is comprised in the amphiphilic polymer with a number of o units and repeat unit of general formula (III) is comprised in the amphiphilic polymer with a number of p units, wherein each of m, o and p is an independently selected integer from about 3 to about 400 and wherein the sum of m+o+p is selected in the range from about 10 to about 10000, R1 in repeat units (I)-(III) is H or methyl, R2 in repeat unit (II) is an aliphatic moiety with a main chain of about 3 to about 30 carbon atoms and 0 to about 3 heteroatoms selected from the group N, O, S, Se and Si, and, R3 in repeat unit (III) is one of (i) an alicyclic moiety with a main chain of about 5 to about 80 carbon atoms and 0 to about 30 heteroatoms selected from the gro

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of preserving a sensor in a container, said sensor comprising a sensing area of metallic or a semi-conducting material covered with molecules having a MW>100 Dalton, said molecules being bound to the material wherein at least the sensing area of the layer is kept submerged in a storage solution, said storage solution having a composition that consists for at least 80% by volume of at least one compound chosen from water, ethanol, triethylene glycol and isopropanol, with the provisios that if the concentration of ethanol is at least 80 vol. % of the storage solution ethanol is present in a concentration of no more than 93% by volume of the storage solution; if water is present, it is present in a concentration of less than 80% by volume of the storage solution. The invention also relates to a container containing a sensor and a storage solution.

Abstract: Disclosed are an amphiphilic polymer, its synthesis and uses thereof. The polymer has a hydrocarbon backbone with —COOH side groups. It further has first aliphatic moieties with a main chain of about 3 to about 20 carbon atoms and 0 to about 3 heteroatoms, and second aliphatic moieties that have a main chain of about 3 to about 80 carbon atoms and about 2 to about 40 heteroatoms. The second aliphatic moieties have a copolymerisable group. In the synthesis a maleic anhydride polymer of formula (I) where n is an integer from about 10 to about 10000 and R1 is H or methyl, is reacted with a monofunctional compound with an alkyl chain of about 3 to about 20 carbon atoms and 0 to about 2 heteroatoms, and with an at least bifunctional compound with an alkyl chain of about 3 to about 80 carbon atoms and 0 to about 40 heteroatoms. The functional group of the monofunctional compound and one functional group of the at least bifunctional compound can form a linkage with an anhydride.

Abstract: Monomelic materials are described, comprising inorganic nanoparticles having covalently bonded to their surface at least one polymerizable organic moiety, preferably an ethylenically unsaturated organic moiety. These monomeric materials combine desirable properties of the inorganic particulate material and of the organic monomer, in addition to having the unique properties of nano-sized particles.