Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

3m Innovative Properties Company

John E Trend

Moses Mekala David

Duane Douglas Fansler

Dora M Paolucci

Michael S Wendland

Michael C Palazzotto

Cary A Kipke

Kurt J Halverson

Thomas I Insley

Neal A Rakow

Marvin E Jones

Gilbert L Eian

Stefan H Gryska

Masao Yafuso

James Gregory Bentsen

Jun-Ying Zhang

Britton G Billingsley

Philip G Martin

Larry A Brey

Richard J Poirier

Sanjay L Patil

Elisa M Cross

James P Mathers

Cecil V Francis

Mitchell A Rossman

David W Macomber

Shih-Hung Chou

J Christopher Thomas

Roberta E Harelstad

Kent B Rochford

Peter C Leung

Paul F Korkowski

Larry A Schumann

Multi-layered optical sensor films are disclosed. The sensor films include a first reflective layer, a detection layer over the reflective layer, and optionally a second reflective layer over the detection layer. The detection layer contains a hydrophobic, amorphous, substantially microporous, analyte-sensitive organosilicate composition. The analyte-sensitive organosilicate composition provides an optical change in the film upon analyte exposure.

Organic chemical sensor with microporous organosilicate material

Sensing elements for sensing organic chemical analytes are disclosed. The sensing elements include a first electrode and a second electrode, and a substantially microporous, amorphous, hydrophobic, analyte-responsive organosilicate material in proximity to the first and second electrodes.

Organic chemical sensor with microporous organisilicate material

Plasma deposited microporous analyte detection layers, method of forming analyte detection layers, and analyte sensors including the same are disclosed. An analyte sensor includes a substrate and a microporous amorphous random covalent network layer. The microporous amorphous random covalent network layer includes silicon, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen with a mean pore size in a range from 0.5 to 10 nanometers and an optical thickness in a range from 0.2 to 2 micrometers.

Plasma deposited microporous analyte detection layer

A sorbent media protective device includes an enclosure having a gas inlet, gas outlet and a thin-film multilayer indicator. The thin-film multilayer indicator is proximate sorbent media that can sorb a vapor of interest flowing from the gas inlet towards the gas outlet. The indicator includes a porous detection layer whose optical thickness changes in the presence of the vapor, located between a semireflective layer and a reflective layer permeable to the vapor. With equilibration at the applied vapor concentration between at least a portion of the media and the vapor, the vapor can pass through the reflective layer into the detection layer and change the detection layer optical thickness sufficiently to cause a visibly discernible change in the indicator appearance if viewed through the semireflective layer.

Organic vapor sorbent protective device with thin-film indicator

An optically-responsive multilayer reflective article is formed by applying a dilute solution or suspension of metallic nanoparticles to an optically-responsive detection layer. The solution or suspension is allowed to dry to form a semicontinuous liquid- or vapor-permeable light-reflective layer that will permit a liquid or vapor analyte to pass through the light-reflective layer to cause an optically-responsive change in the detection layer in the presence of the analyte.

Permeable nanoparticle reflector

A microporous carbon material includes a porous carbon skeleton having an average pore size from 0.1 to 10 nanometers and being substantially free of pores greater than 1 micrometer. Methods of forming the microporous carbon material are also disclosed.

Plasma deposited microporous carbon material

A method of making an optochemical sensor, the method comprising: providing a reflective substrate having a major surface; affixing a detection layer comprising at least one intrinsically microporous polymer to at least a portion of the major surface; depositing a substantially continuous semi-reflective metallic layer on at least a portion of the detection layer, the semi-reflective metallic layer comprising palladium and having a network of fine irregular cracks therein; and heating the detection layer and semi-reflective metallic layer in the presence of molecular oxygen at a temperature sufficient to cause the cracks to widen. Sensors prepared according to method are also disclosed.

Optochemical sensor and method of making the same

A fluorescent ionophoric compound is disclosed that includes a complexing moiety, such as a cryptand or crown-ether portion, and a fluorescing moiety such as a coumarin portion. The coumarin portion may be substituted at the 3-position with an electron withdrawing or polarizable group such as a substituted aromatic group or a substituted heterocyclic group having a heteroatom in at least one of its alpha positions. The compound, which exhibits good photostability, can be incorporated into cation-sensing composite structures by means of convenient points of covalent attachment.

Cation-sensing composite structure and compounds for use therein

A fluorescent ionophoric compound comprises a cryptand portion and a coumarin portion substituted at the 3-position with an electron withdrawing or polarizable group. The compound, which exhibits good photostability, can be incorporated into cation-sensing composite structures useful in biological and environmental testing, which can be used with conventional glass optics, by means of convenient points of covalent attachment.

Nonlinear-optic (NLO) compositions containing functionalized merocyanine dyes, such that the molecules, comprising the NLO-active compositions have a functional group at each end of the molecule and each functional group differing in reactivity, thus permitting stepwise reaction of each functional group, and NLO-active molecules prepared from hemioxonol dyes derviatived with (meth)acrylate or (meth)acrylamide groups, and their uses in devices such as second harmonic generators or polymer integrated optics.

Nonlineaphores and polymers incorporating such nonlineaphores

Surfactants which are blocked against surfactant action (identified herein as 'photolabile blocked surfactants') by a photolabile protective or masking group but which, on exposure to actinic radiation, become unblocked are provided. Coating compositions in which surfactant is formed on irradiation are provided by blending the photolabile blocked surfactant with polymeric film-forming materials. Compositions containing the photolabile blocked surfactants are useful when employed as protective coatings on various substrates or as the adhesive in a pressure sensitive adhesive tape. Although initially well adhering to a substrate, such compositions may be readily removed from the substrate following exposure of the same to suitable radiation which unblocks the surfactant to permit it to regain its surfactant activity.

Photolabile blocked surfactants

Inclusion complexes, comprising a host and a guest, that exhibit greater second harmonic generation efficiency than either the host or the guest exhibits by itself. Preferred hosts can be selected from cyclodextrins, cyclodextrin derivatives, and cyclodextrin polymers. Preferred guests can be selected from aromatic compounds in which the molecule contains both an electron-donating functional group and an electron-withdrawing functional group.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

John E Trend