The University of Texas System

Texas Instruments Corporation

Ethicon, Gmbh

Richard B Timmons

Jenn-Hann Larry Wang

Dhiman Bhattacharyya

Wen-Long Jang

Yuliang Wu

Dattatray Wavhal

Narayan Mukherjee

Yigong He

Szu-Min Lin

Paul Taylor Jacobs

Ali Erdemir

Prsnesh B Aswath

Wei William Lee

David J Houpt, Jr

Sandor Kristyan

Ceren Susut

Charles R Savage

John F Prieve

Vinay Sharma

Licheng Marshal Han

Lubricant compositions, core-shell nanoparticles, and related methods are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, a lubricant composition includes a plurality of core-shell nanoparticles. The nanoparticles include a core, a first shell disposed on the core, and a second shell disposed on the first shell. The first shell is formed from a siliceous material and the second shell is formed from a hydrophobic material. The first and second shells form functional coatings that reduce wear and friction of parts lubricated with the lubricant composition.

Lubricant compositions comprising core-shell nanoparticles

The present invention includes systems, methods and compositions for the encapsulation of particles. In one form, the system comprises one or more particles, a rotatable reaction chamber in a plasma enhanced chemical reactor to accept one or more particles, and at least one carbonaceous compound to be used in the rotatable reaction chamber, wherein the carbonaceous compound is polymerized onto a surface of one or more particles forming a polymer film encapsulating one or more particles. Using systems, methods, and compositions of the present invention, any particle encapsulated with a degradable or nondegradable polymer film may be introduced and/or released into an environment. The polymer film as well as introduction of encapsulated particles and release therefrom into an environment are controlled by the present invention.

Plasma polymerization for encapsulating particles

The present invention includes compositions and methods for synthesis of composite materials involving gas phase plasma polymerization to covalently plasma graft an organic molecule onto inorganic particles; covalently binding an organic monomer to the functionalized inorganic particles; and, polymerizing the organic monomers into inorganic/organic hybrid polymer composite materials.

Covalently functionalized particles for synthesis of new composite materials

The present invention includes compositions and methods for synthesis of composite materials involving gas phase plasma polymerization to covalently plasma graft an organic molecule onto particles; covalently binding an organic monomer to the functionalized particles; and, polymerizing the organic monomers into hybrid polymer composite materials.

A device, and its production method, the device has a substrate and a coating composition, the coating composition being formed by the gas phase or plasma polymerization of a gas comprising at least one organic compound or monomer. The polymerization is carried out using a pulsed discharge having a duty cycle of less than about &frac15;, in which the pulse-on time is less than about 100 msec and the pulse-off time is less than about 2000 msec. The duty cycle can also be varied, thus the coating composition can be gradient layered accordingly. The device has a coating composition which is uniform in thickness, pin-hole free, optically transparent in the visible region of the magnetic spectrum, permeable to oxygen, abrasive resistant, wettable and biologically non-fouling.

Non-fouling, wettable coated devices

Devices, and their method of production, having coatings deposited by pulsed plasma polymerization of a macrocycle containing a heteroatom, wherein the heteroatom is oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, or a mixture thereof. The coatings on contact lens are preferably deposited by gas phase polymerization of a cyclic ether, such as crown ether, which coatings are non-fouling and wettable, and the gas phase polymerization utilizes a pulsed discharge.

Method for depositing a coating comprising pulsed plasma polymerization of a macrocycle

This invention describes a new approach to three-dimensional molecular tailoring of surfaces. In this process, a plasma deposition step is initially employed to deposit reactive functional groups on the surface of a solid substrate. This is then followed by immersion of the coated substrate in a solution during which time solute molecules react with the functional surface groups introduced during the plasma process. Solute molecules are attached to the surface during this second step. This simple two-step process is of general utility in that both the nature of the plasma introduced surface group and the nature of the solute molecules can be varied. Additionally it is possible to provide exact control of the surface density of reactive groups introduced during the plasma process and thus the concentration of solute molecules coupled to the solid surfaces. A particularly significant aspect of this invention is that the second step chemical derivatization reactions can be carried out using aqueous solutions at room temperature. The RF plasma polymerization of substituted perfluorohexenes is shown to produce films having unusually high &mdash;CF,content. These films are produced under both pulsed and continuous-wave plasma deposition conditions. The relative &mdash;CF,content of these polymers increases with decreasing average RF power absorbed during the film formation processes. The films produced under the least energetic condition (i.e., pulsed plasma, 0.1 ms on/3.0 ms off and 100 watts peak power) are exceptionally hydrophobic, exhibiting advancing and receding water contact angles in excess of those observed with Teflon&reg; surfaces. The most hydrophobic films have a &mdash;CF,content which represents 40% of the carbon atoms present in the sample.

Molecular tailoring of surfaces

An improved apparatus and method for measuring the concentration of hydrogen peroxide vapor or gas in a sterilization chamber. The hydrogen peroxide is measured spectrophotometrically in the ultraviolet region between 200 and 400 nm. Because water vapor does not absorb in the ultraviolet region, it does not interfere with the determination of the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide vapor. Although organic compounds have absorbances in the ultraviolet region, the organic compounds are removed by evacuating the sterilization chamber to low levels before doing the hydrogen peroxide determination. The ultraviolet light source is either a low pressure mercury vapor lamp with an emission at 254 nm or a deuterium lamp with an optical filter selective of 206 nm light. A movable gas cell can be used to measure the hydrogen peroxide concentration at various areas in the sterilization chamber. The measurement system can be combined with a feedback loop to control the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the sterilization chamber.

Method and apparatus for measuring the concentration of hydrogen peroxide vapor

Pulsed plasma deposition of polymers as dielectrics for integrated circuit interconnects fills minimal gaps and yields a porous polymer with thermal stability by plasma off times sufficiently long to dissipate plasma on time energy input plus an anneal of the deposited polymer to drive off occluded monomers and small oligomers.

Method of forming a polymer on a surface

This invention describes a new approach to three-dimensional molecular tailoring of surfaces. In this process, a plasma deposition step is initially employed to deposit reactive functional groups on the surface of a solid substrate. This is then followed by immersion of the coated substrate in a solution during which time solute molecules react with the functional surface groups introduced during the plasma process. Solute molecules are attached to the surface during this second step. This simple two-step process is of general utility in that both the nature of the plasma introduced surface group and the nature of the solute molecules can be varied. Additionally it is possible to provide exact control of the surface density of reactive groups introduced during the plasma process and thus the concentration of solute molecules coupled to the solid surfaces. A particularly significant aspect of this invention is that the second step chemical derivatization reactions can be carried out using aqueous solutions at room temperature. The RF plasma polymerization of substituted perfluorohexenes is shown to produce films having unusually high --CF.sub.3 content. These films are produced under both pulsed and continuous-wave plasma deposition conditions. The relative --CF.sub.3 content of these polymers increases with decreasing average RF power absorbed during the film formation processes. The films produced under the least energetic condition (i.e., pulsed plasma, 0.1 ms on/3.0 ms off and 100 watts peak power) are exceptionally hydrophobic, exhibiting advancing and receding water contact angles in excess of those observed with Teflon.RTM. surfaces. The most hydrophobic films have a --CF.sub.3 content which represents 40% of the carbon atoms present in the sample.

A novel catalytic process involving complete hydrodehalogenation of halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons in the presence of a hydrogen donor and a modified zeolite catalyst has been developed. The process is operated in a continuous flow mode and reaction products consist exclusively of hydrogen halide and hydrocarbons. The relative ratio of paraffins to olefins to aromatics obtained in the product distribution is a strong function of the ratio of hydrogen to reactant and the space velocity and temperature employed. The catalyst employed is a nickel metal modified shape selective zeolite that takes advantage of the hydrogenolysis ability of nickel and the acidic-shape selective properties of the zeolite.

Catalytic hydrodehalogenation of polyhalogenated hydrocarbons

The invention relates to an efficient process for the production of higher hydrocarbon from the catalyzed conversion of acetylene. This invention describes the use of a nickel or cobalt-containing zeolite catalyst, coupled with the addition of a hydrogen donor co-reactant to the acetylene feed, to obtain continuous and complete conversion of acetylene to other hydrocarbons. The catalyst/reactant feed process described eliminates rapid catalyst deactivation.

Zeolite catalyzed conversion of acetylene

A new method is described for the in situ activation of catalysts. Conductive catalysts or catalyst compositions are treated by applying a relatively high (up to 3,000 vdc), substantially electrostatic, potential to the catalyst while the surface of the catalyst is exposed to an ionizable gas. Activation is observed only when the catalyst is biased negatively with respect to a remote counter electrode. The activation persists even after the electrical potential is removed. This activation and, in some cases, catalyst regeneration is believed to arise from the production of cation radicals which react with and remove inactivating deposits on the catalytic surface. The process is demonstrated on the nickel-catalyzed hydrogenolysis of ehtane and ethylene.

Growing community of inventors

Arlington, TX, United States of America

Richard B Timmons