Ultraviolet（UV）/electron beam（EB）-cured materials are cured by UV / EB irradiation, and the wavelengths used include UV and short-wavelength visible light. The polymerization types include radical polymerization and cationic polymerization, which can be solvent-free, have a high curing speed, and have excellent heat resistance and solvent resistance because they are cured materials with a cross-linked structure. This paper describes UV-EB curable monomers and oligomers, mainly acrylates. In addition, biomass acrylate is introduced as an environmentally friendly material for which needs have been increasing in recent years.

Photoinitiators are considered one of the essential components in UV curing technology. According to the kind of active species generated by UV irradiation, photoinitiators can be classified by radical and cationic types. In Japan, the majority of the market is dominated by radical photoinitiators. This paper aims to introduce radical-based photoinitiators, discuss the current toxicological classifications in Europe, and present new products that could serve as alternatives to fulfill future needs in terms of both regulatory and technology.

UV-curing process based on photo-induced radical polymerization has been widely utilized for inks, paints, adhesives, and photo-resist materials. Especially, facile tuning of UV intensity, wavelength, irradiation area etc, has enabled their industrial applications, however the precise control of photo-polymerization is not trivial due to their too rapid reaction time (within seconds). Delicate balance of reaction kinetics, deformation (shrinkage), and phase-separation associated to polymer network formation needs to be considered. Here we focus on photo-induced reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) techniques, such as organo-catalyzed iodine-transfer controlled radical polymerization, and synthesized polymeric dormant with C-I endgroup. Utilization of photo-active polymeric dormant for UV-curing process enabled the precise control of photo-polymerization and phase-segregation simultaneously. The obtained coatings were optically clear, but internal nanostructure of the coating exhibited unprecedented, bicontinuous nanodomains with gradient size distribution. The nanodomains were evolved via polymerization-induced microphase separation (PIMS), and kinetically trapped by crosslinking. The domain size was tunable with catalysts (10-30 nm for PTH and 50-80 nm for PPh3), UV intensity, crosslinker content, and other processing aids. The functional coatings based on controlled UV-curing process were also summarized.

Directed self-assembly（DSA）of block copolymers（BCPs）has emerged as a promising nanofabrication technique to complement extreme ultraviolet, EUV, lithography in next-generation semiconductor manufacturing. This review highlights the background and fundamental principles of DSA, including chemical guiding patterns, neutral layers, and annealing processes, with a focus on pattern multiplication and rectification. From a materials perspective, we first discuss polystyrene-block-poly（methyl methacrylate）（PS-b-PMMA）, which has been widely used due to its excellent phase separation, thermal annealing compatibility, and dry etching suitability, but its low χ parameter limits sub-10 nm patterning. We then present our development of a higher-χ BCP, polystyrene-block-poly（glycidyl methacrylate-random-methyl methacrylate）functionalized with 2,2,2-trifluoroethanethiol（PS-b-PGFM）, which achieves stable vertical lamellae with domain spacings down to 12.4 nm and is compatible with existing PS-r-PMMA-r-poly（hydroxyethyl methacrylate）（PHEMA）neutral layers, showing defect-free DSA performance on 300 mm wafers. Additionally, we introduce a novel PS-b-PMMA derivative incorporating hydroxyl groups at the block junction, exhibiting dual functionality as both a neutral layer and a thin film material. These advancements provide new insights into the design of BCP-based nanopatterning materials and their integration with interface engineering technologies.

Photoalignment technology utilizes the duality of light, namely particle and wave properties. A surface photoreactive layer can capture both energy and wave properties from light. This combined stimulus enables the photoalignment of liquid crystals（LCs）when they get contact with the photoalignment layer. Azobenzene is a typical photochromic unit for this application. This article briefly describes the principle of photoalignment process that has recently become more important in the fabrication of LC display panels. Some other related topics involving the high-density photoresponsive polymer chain brush systems, photoalignment of LC films from the free（air）surface, surface relief grating formation via patterned light illumination, and surface fabrication via Marangoni flow, are introduced. Most of these phenomena involve dynamic collective molecular interactions at interfaces, and thus should be of help for understanding soft adhesion processes taking place in organized molecular systems.

Safety and efficacy of medicines, chemicals, drugs, cosmetics, and food have been confirmed through animal testing. However, the results of animal testing do not always apply to humans; for example, the success rate of new drug development is only about 1 in 30,000. In addition to economic issues, there are also ethical issues, and a new evaluation method is required to replace animal testing. One method that is particularly expected to be highly accurate is microphysiological systems (MPS), which place tissue models and organoids made from human cells and stem cells in microfluidic chips. MPS is expected to make it possible to evaluate the efficacy and side effects of drugs, including the interactions between organs and tissues through systemic circulation. To realize MPS, it is essential to create a culture environment in which cells can respond in the same way as in the body, and to create microfluidic chips that can accurately evaluate the responses of cells and organoids. We are attempting to solve these issues using material processing techniques that utilize ionizing radiation, such as electron beams, gamma-rays, and ion beams. This article introduces three research examples from various attempts in which control of the“ adhesion” and“ interfaces” of biomaterials is key.