University of Massachusetts

Northeastern University

Carol M F Barry

Joey L Mead

Artee Panwar

Hanna Dodiuk-Kenig

Samuel Kenig

Tehila Nahum

Jason Constantinou

Ahmed Busnaina

Sagar Mitra

John Shearer

Jinde Zhang

Nischay Kodihalli Shivaprakash

Ming Wei

Mary K Herndon

Zhenghong Tao

Alkim Akyurtlu

Mahdi Haghzadeh

Methods and systems for manufacturing re-entrant structures, such as the structures exhibiting superomniphobic characteristic, in a continuous, well-controlled, high-rate (mass production, volume) manner are disclosed.

Methods and system for mass production, volume manufacturing of re-entrant structures

An object has a superhydrophic, self-cleaning, and icephobic coating includes a substrate and a layer disposed on the substrate, the layer resulting from coating with a formulation having an effective amount of microstructuring microparticles, liquid silane having one or more groups configured to graft to a microstructuring microparticle and at least another group that results in hydrophobicity. The microstructuring microparticles are dispersed in the liquid silane. Another effective amount of synthetic adhesive, selected from thermosetting adhesives, moisture curing adhesives or polymers that form a strong interaction with a surface, is in solution with a solvent. Upon curing, the layer has a contact angle greater than 90&#xb0; and a sliding angle of less than 10&#xb0; and, less than 5% of an area of the layer is removed in a Tape test.

Methods and formulations for superhydrophic, self-cleaning, and icephobic polymer coatings and objects having coatings thereon

An object has a durable superhydrophic, self-cleaning, and icephobic coating includes a substrate and a layer disposed on the substrate, the layer resulting from coating with a formulation having an effective amount of hierarchical structuring micro/nanoparticles, liquid silane having one or more groups configured to graft to a hierarchical structuring micro/nanoparticle and at least another group that results in hydrophobicity. The hierarchical structuring micro/nanoparticles are dispersed in the liquid silane. Another effective amount of synthetic adhesive, selected from thermosetting binders, moisture curing adhesives or polymers that form a strong interaction with a surface, is in solution with a solvent. Upon curing, the layer has a contact angle greater than 90&#xb0; and a sliding angle of less than 10&#xb0; and, less than 5% of an area of the layer is removed in a Tape test.

Methods and formulations for durable superhydrophic, self-cleaning, and superhydrophobic polymer coatings and objects having coatings thereon

Flexible substrates including a polymer selected from a thermoplastic polymer, a thermoset polymer, and/or a polymer blend, and ferroelectric perovskite-type oxide particles dispersed in the polymer, where the ferroelectric perovskite-type oxide has a dielectric constant that varies with applied voltage. The flexible substrates can be used in tunable electronics.

Flexible functionalized ceramic-polymer based substrates

Nanoscale patterns prepared by lithography are used to direct the self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules to form patterned nanosubstrates having a desired distribution of chemical functional moieties. These patterns can be fabricated over a large area and require no special limitations on the chemistry the assembled amphiphiles. Hydrophilic/hydrophobic patterns can be created and used to direct the deposition of a single functional component to specific regions of the surface or to selectively assemble polymer blends to desired sites in a one step fashion with high specificity and selectivity. The selective deposition of functional moieties on a patterned surface can be based on electrostatic forces, hydrogen bonding, or hydrophobic interactions. The methods and patterned nanosubstrates of the invention can be used in the assembly of functional polymer systems, polyelectrolytes, biomolecules, conducting polymers, colloids and nanoparticles, and find wide technological applications in biosensors, biochips, photonics and electronics.

Patterned nanosubstrates made by directed self assembly of amphiphilic molecules

The present invention provides a method for directed assembly of a conducting polymer. A method of the invention comprises providing a template such as an insulated template and electrophorectically assembling a conducting polymer thereon. Preferably, the template comprises a patterned electrode on which the conducting polymer is assembled. Moreover, the invention provides a method for transferring an assembled conducting polymer. For example, a method of the invention comprises providing a substrate such as a polymeric substrate and contacting a surface thereof with an assembled conducting polymer. The assembled conducting polymer can be disposed on a patterned electrode of a template, hi one embodiment, a method comprises removing the substrate. By removing the substrate, the assembled conducting polymer is transferred from the patterned electrode of the template to the substrate. The invention also provides a device with a template or substrate comprising an assembled conducting polymer.

Directed assembly of a conducting polymer

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Tyngsborough, MA, United States of America

Carol M F Barry