Patent ID: 7723415

Claim:
A method for modifying the surface or interfacial properties of a material comprising the steps of: (a) providing a polymer or particulate material selected from the group consisting of (i) a polymer selected from the group consisting of acrylics, carbonates, epoxies, esters, silicones, polyolefins, polyethers, polyesters, polycarbonates, polyamides, polyurethanes, polyimides, phenolics, cyanate esters, polyureas, resoles, polyanilines, fluoropolymers, silicones, styrenics, amides, nitriles, olefins, aromatic oxides, aromatic sulfides, esters, and ionomers or rubbery polymers derived from hydrocarbons and silicones, and (ii) a particulate selected from the group consisting of metals, metal alloys, oxides, ceramics, ceramic alloys, microtubes, nanotubes, inorganic compounds, organic compounds, man-made materials, and naturally occurring materials; and (b) nonreactively incorporating a nanostructured chemical selected from the group consisting of POSS, POS, and POMS with the material by mixing; wherein the surface roughness of the mixture is at least twenty-five percent greater or smaller than the surface roughness of the material selected from (a).