University College Cork

The Provost, Fellows, Scholars and Other Members of Board of Trinity College Dublin

Michael Morris

Ramesh Babu Padamati

Clifton Ngan

Justin Holmes

Donal Keane

Mark Copley

John Hanrahan

Thomas Fitzgerald

Paul Delaney

Niamh Hennessy

Sibu C Padmanabhan

Joseph P Kerry

Peter Fleming

Kamran Beyzavi

Malco C Cruz-Romero

A coating composition for applying a very thin film coating to a substrate such as a polymeric film comprises a copolymer such as a block copolymer (BCP) that is compatible with the substrate, an alcohol solvent or solvents capable of dissolving the copolymer, a hydrolysed metal alkoxide precursor, a carboxylic acid stabiliser, and an active agent in an ionic, molecular, or small nanoparticle form. The active agent is configured to provide a functionality to the coating composition, selected from antimicrobial, antifungal, barrier, therapeutic, electrical, electronic, magnetic and optical. The composition is a sol comprising a continuous non-sedimentable/stable suspension of very small sized (of nano order) amorphous inorganic polymers in their oligomeric or polymeric state, and comprising the active agent dispersed in a hydrolysed metal alkoxide-BCP matrix. Substrates coated with very thin coatings are also provided, including coated LDPE which is activated before coating by UV/ozone, plasma or corona treatment prior to deposition of a wetting layer.

Coating composition comprising integrated functionality

A method for synthesizing mesoporous silica microparticles comprising the steps of: preparing a sol from an ammonium catalyzed hydrolysis and condensation reaction of a pre-sol solution comprising a silica precursor and a structure directing agent dissolved in a mixed solvent system comprising an alcohol and water to produce mesoporous particles of silica with an average diameter of up to about 50 &#x3bc;m; hydrothermally treating the particles to increase the pore size; treating the particles to remove residual structure directing agent; and further increasing the pore size using controlled dissolution.

Method for synthesising microparticles

A poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) membrane having a highly porous, reticulated, 3-D structure suitable for lateral flow diagnostic applications is described. Also described is a method for producing a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) membrane that comprises the steps of mixing a suitable amount of PMMA, a solvent and a optionally one of either a co-solvent or a non-solvent to produce a solution, casting a thin film of the solution onto a support, and removal of the solvent from the solution to produce the PMMA membrane. A lateral flow diagnostic device comprising a highly porous PMMA membrane as a reaction membrane is also described.

Method for the production of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) membranes and uses thereof

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Michael Morris