Surface activation for sealant adhesion on surfaces

A method of sealing a surface, comprising:

• applying a composition to the surface, the composition comprising:
• an organic solvent present in an amount of about 95 to about 99.5 volume percent, wherein the organic solvent has a vapor pressure of about 10 mmHg to about 45 mmHg at 20° C.;
• and
• a transition metal alkoxide or a transition metal alkanoate present in an amount of about 0.5 to about 5 volume percent;
• and
• evaporating the organic solvent from the composition applied to the surface to deposit a transition metal oxide onto the surface, followed by removing an excess of the transition metal oxide from the deposited transition metal oxide to form a transition metal oxide layer disposed on the surface, the transition metal oxide layer having a thickness of about 200 nm to about 400 nm;
• and
• applying a sealant over the transition metal oxide layer to form a sealant layer, the sealant layer selected from a group consisting of a polysulfide, a polythioether, a silicone, a polyurethane, and combinations thereof.