University of California

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Northwestern University

DeQuan Li

Basil I Swanson

Tobin Jay Marks

Quanxi Jia

Xiaoguang Yang

An organic solvent-free process for deposition of metal oxide thin films is presented. The process includes aqueous solutions of necessary metal precursors and an aqueous solution of a water-soluble polymer. After a coating operation, the resultant coating is fired at high temperatures to yield optical quality metal oxide thin films.

Polymer-assisted aqueous deposition of metal oxide films

The design and synthesis of a family of calix[4]arene-based nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores are discussed. The calixarene chromophores are macrocyclic compounds consisting of four simple D-.pi.-A units bridged by methylene groups. These molecules were synthesized such that four D-.pi.-A units of the calix[4]arene were aligned along the same direction with the calixarene in a cone conformation. These nonlinear optical super-chromophores were subsequently fabricated into covalently bound self-assembled monolayers on the surfaces of fused silica and silicon. Spectroscopic second harmonic generation (SHG) measurements were carried out to determine the absolute value of the dominant element of the second-order nonlinear susceptibility, d.sub.33, and the average molecular alignment, .PSI.. A value of d.sub.33 =60 pm/V at a fundamental wavelength of 890 nm, and .PSI..about.36.degree. was found with respect to the surface normal.

Polar self-assembled thin films for non-linear optical materials

An article of manufacture is provided including a substrate having an oxide surface layer and a selective thin film of a cyclodextrin derivative chemically bound upon said substrate, said film is adapted for the inclusion of a selected organic compound therewith. Such an article can be either a chemical sensor capable of detecting a resultant mass change from inclusion of the selected organic compound or a chemical separator capable of reversibly selectively separating a selected organic compound.

Chemical microsensors

Articles of manufacture including: (a) a base substrate having an oxide surface layer, and a multidentate ligand, capable of binding a metal ion, attached to the oxide surface layer of the base substrate, (b) a base substrate having an oxide surface layer, a multidentate ligand, capable of binding a metal ion, attached to the oxide surface layer of the base substrate, and a metal species attached to the multidentate ligand, (c) a base substrate having an oxide surface layer, a multidentate ligand, capable of binding a metal ion, attached to the oxide surface layer of the base substrate, a metal species attached to the multidentate ligand, and a multifunctional organic ligand attached to the metal species, and (d) a base substrate having an oxide surface layer, a multidentate ligand, capable of binding a metal ion, attached to the oxide surface layer of the base substrate, a metal species attached to the multidentate ligand, a multifunctional organic ligand attached to the metal species, and a second metal species attached to the multifunctional organic ligand, are provided, such articles useful in detecting the presence of a selected target species, as nonliear optical materials, or as scavengers for selected target species.

Articles including thin film monolayers and multilayers

Polymer-based second harmonic generation materials are disclosed, including electric field poled, chromophore-functionalized polyphenylene ethers with second harmonic coefficients (d.sub.33) as high as 65.times.10.sup.-9 esu, Tg.apprxeq.173.degree. C., and with superior temporal stability of the poling-induced chromophore orientation. Procedures for simultaneously poling and diepoxide cross-linking chromophore-functionalized poly(.rho.-hydroxystyrene) are set forth, resulting in a significant improvement in the temporal stability of chromophore orientation. Chromophore immobilization is disclosed involving highly cross-linkable epoxy matrices. In a first procedure chromophore molecules are embedded in a matrix which can be simultaneously poled and thermally cured. In a second procedure, a functionalized high-.beta. chromophore is synthesized for use as an epoxy matrix component.

Growing community of inventors

Los Alamos, NM, United States of America

DeQuan Li