Abstract: One embodiment of the disclosure relates to an optical connector. The optical connector may include a ferrule, a waveguide, and an inorganic adhesive composition. The ferrule may include a fiber-receiving passage defining an inner surface. The inorganic adhesive composition may be disposed within the ferrule and in contact with the inner surface of the ferrule and the waveguide. The inorganic adhesive composition may include at least about 50% by weight of metal oxide.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are functionalized cationic peptide monomers: peptide chains of two or more positively charged amino acids chosen from lysine or arginine, or derivatives thereof, which are functionalized, meaning that they are bound to one or more polymerization moieties. The functionalized cationic peptide monomers can be described by the formula Z-Xaan-Z1n1 wherein Z and Z1 are polymerization moieties and n1 is an integer of 0 or 1; Xaa is each independently an amino acid Lys or Arg and n is an integer from 2 to 10 and wherein at least one Xaa amino acid of Xaa is Lys, wherein the carboxyl terminus of the amino acid sequence is amidated. Functionalized cationic peptide monomers can be combined and polymerized to form cell culture surfaces.

Abstract: An electrode coating composition that includes at least one crosslinkable monomer; at least one hydrophobic monomer; and at least one dielectric constant enhancing agent selected from dielectric enhancing monomers, ferroelectric particulates, and electroactive polymers. Coatings including the polymer of compositions, and articles including electrically isolating layers are also disclosed.

Abstract: Methods and formulations are provided for: selecting a sol-gel precursor containing a material for forming a thin film layer on a substrate; selecting a solvent having a boiling point at or above a solvent boiling point threshold and a viscosity at or below a solvent viscosity threshold; combining the sol-gel and the solvent into a mixture; applying the mixture onto a surface of the substrate; permitting the mixture to spread and level on the surface; and at least one of drying and curing the mixture to form the thin layer on the substrate.

Abstract: Inorganic films made by providing a solution comprising a metallic salt, an organo-metallic compound, or combinations thereof in a polar aprotic solvent, depositing the solution onto a substrate to form a coating on the substrate, and annealing the coating.

Abstract: Compositions made by metallothermal reduction from crystalline materials and methods of producing such compositions are provided. The compositions have novel crystalline structures in the form of three-dimensional scaffolds. Additionally, the compositions possess unusual properties that indicate possible applications in numerous applications.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating dimensional silica-based substrates or structures comprising a porous silicon layers are contemplated. According to one embodiment, oxygen is extracted from the atomic elemental composition of a silica glass substrate by reacting a metallic gas with the substrate in a heated inert atmosphere to form a metal-oxygen complex along a surface of the substrate. The metal-oxygen complex is removed from the surface of the silica glass substrate to yield a crystalline porous silicon surface portion and one or more additional layers are formed over the crystalline porous silicon surface portion of the silica glass substrate to yield a dimensional silica-based substrate or structure comprising the porous silicon layer. Embodiments are also contemplated where the substrate is glass-based, but is not necessarily a silica-based glass substrate. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: Compositions made by metallothermal reduction from aerogels and phase separated glasses and glass ceramics formed and methods of producing such compositions are provided. The compositions have novel structures that incorporate nanoporous silicon and other metal, metalloid, or metal-oxide nanowires in form of three-dimensional scaffolds. Additional compositions possess unusual photoluminescence properties that indicate possible applications in lighting and electronics.

Abstract: Light scattering substrates made by providing a substrate comprising at least one surface, forming a layer of particles by depositing a sol-gel on the at least one surface, and heating the coated substrate.

Abstract: Synthetic surfaces capable of supporting culture of cells in culture, particularly cells that will be used therapeutically, are disclosed. The synthetic cell culture surfaces have a functionalized peptide, a peptide that has been functionalized to contain a polymerization moiety, and optionally a spacer, grafted to a hydrophilic polymeric base material. Methods of making the surfaces and methods of using the surfaces are also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are cell culture surfaces comprising a substrate and a polymer layer on the substrate where the polymer layer contains enzyme-cleavable amino acid sequences and cell adhesive peptide sequences.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are functionalized cationic peptide monomers: peptide chains of two or more positively charged amino acids chosen from lysine or arginine, or derivatives thereof, which are functionalized, meaning that they are bound to one or more polymerization moieties. The functionalized cationic peptide monomers can be described by the formula Z-Xaan-Z1n1 wherein Z and Z1 are polymerization moieties and n1 is an integer of 0 or 1; Xaa is each independently an amino acid Lys or Arg and n is an integer from 2 to 10 and wherein at least one Xaa amino acid of Xaa is Lys, wherein the carboxyl terminus of the amino acid sequence is amidated. Functionalized cationic peptide monomers can be combined and polymerized to form cell culture surfaces.

Abstract: A process for forming microcarriers includes contacting an initiator-conjugated microcarrier base with one or more monomers and activating the initiator to initiate polymerization and to graft a polymer from the base via the initiator or a remnant thereof. At least one of the monomers is conjugated to a polypeptide so that incorporation of the monomer into the forming polymer conjugates the polypeptide to the polymeric coating as it is formed in situ.

Abstract: A process wherein a polymer, such as DNA, having a defined chemical composition and size is used to template the alignment of polarizing species, such as optically active organic dyes or metal nanoparticles having defined compositional characteristics and/or size and shape characteristics, on a surface to manufacture a thin film polarizer; a process where metal nanorods are aligned on a substrate surface or inside a substrate to make a polarizer; and a polarizer thus made. Multi-layered polarizing structure can be created by using the process of the present invention.