University of Massachusetts

Carl W Lawton

Suzanne Conroy

Stephen P McCarthy

Robert J Nicolosi

Nese Orbey

Lekha Papammagari

Sanjeev K Manohar

Michael A Fiddy

Burcin Ikizer

Drew A Pommet

Julian David Sanchez

The disclosure relates to a method of making carbon fiber, the method comprising pyrolyzing poly(p-phenylene) (PPP) fiber at a temperature sufficient to convert PPP fiber substantially to carbon fiber. The disclosure also relates to pre-PPP polymer, methods for making PPP fiber from pre-PPP polymer and, in turn, making carbon fiber from PPP fiber.

Compositions comprising poly(p-phenylene) and carbon fibers produced therefrom

In an aspect, a method of making a composite comprises mixing titanium dioxide in a aqueous solution comprising an acid to form a titanium dioxide mixture; mixing an aniline monomer and an oxidizing agent with the titanium dioxide mixture to form a reaction mixture; and polymerizing the aniline monomer to form the composite comprising polyaniline and the titanium dioxide; wherein the titanium dioxide has an average particle size of 0.5 to 100 nm; and wherein the acid is free of a (Calkyl) benzene sulfonic acid or a derivative thereof. In another aspect, a composite comprises a plurality of titanium dioxide having an average particle size of 0.5 to 100 nm; a polyaniline; at least one of hydrochloric acid or 2-acryamido-2-propanesulfonic acid or a derivative thereof; wherein the composite is free of a (Calkyl) benzene sulfonic acid or a derivative thereof.

Composite comprising titanium dioxide and polyaniline

A biomimetic approach utilizing biomolecular self-assembly is described to form nanometer particle size composites for uses, such as, nonlinear optical media. Yeast tRNA was utilized as an ion-exchange/nucleation site within a polymeric matrix (polyacrylamide). Cadmium ion-exchange and subsequent sulfide precipitation resulted in formation of nanometer particle size composites. Illumination of samples with an Argon laster (514 nm) utilizing the Z-scan measurement method resulted in third order nonlinearity &khgr; values of &plus;2.7&times;10 esu.

Biomolecular synthesis of quantum dot composites

A method of producing unsaponifiable rich refined vegetable oils by refining crude vegetable oils with a weak acid salt, e.g., a carbonate salt, to produce a refined vegetable oil and a soapstock is described. The refined oil can be further refined with a strong base to produce unsaponifiable rich concentrates.

Refined vegetable oils and extracts thereof

A biomimetic approach utilizing biomolecular self-assembly is described to form nanometer particle size composites for uses, such as, nonlinear optical media. Yeast tRNA was utilized as an ion-exchange/nucleation site within a polymeric matrix (polyacrylamide). Cadmium ion-exchange and subsequent sulfide precipitation resulted in formation of nanometer particle size composites. Illumination of samples with an Argon laster (514 nm) utilizing the Z-scan measurement method resulted in third order nonlinearity .chi..sup.3 values of +2.7.times.10.sup.-6 esu.

New on-axis, optically addressable spatial light modulators (SLMs) and methods of use are described. The new SLMs include a film of a photochromic material and a non-polarizing beam splitter arranged such that read and write beams counterpropagate with one another, and the read beam is separated from the path of the write beam after being transmitted through the photochromic material film without losing any polarization information encoded on the read beam. The new SLMs are advantageously implemented in incoherent-to-coherent optical converters and all-optical joint transform correlators.

Growing community of inventors

Chelmsford, MA, United States of America

Carl W Lawton