Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Linda S Schadler Feist

John Keith Nelson

Walter Zenger

Robert John Keefe

Pulickel Madhavapanicker Ajayan

Xi-Cheng Zhang

Richard W Siegel

Toh-Ming Lu

Robert F Karlicek

Gwo-Ching Wang

Ying Li

Dongling Ma

Chaitanya Ullal

Nachiket R Raravikar

Yuchuan Chen

Charles S S Goodwin

Yiping Zhao

The present disclosure relates to a matrix-free polymer nanocomposite. The matrix-free polymer nanocomposite includes a plurality of polymer brush grafted nanoparticles, which form the nanocomposite in the absence of a polymeric matrix. The polymer brush grafted to the nanoparticles comprises a multimodal brush configuration having at least two different populations of polymer ligands of different lengths. The present disclosure also relates to an optic or optoelectronic component comprising a matrix-free polymer nanocomposite as described herein. The present disclosure further relates to a method of making a matrix-free polymer nanocomposite.

Matrix-free polymer nanocomposites and related products and methods thereof

A nanocomposite material suitable for electrical insulation includes a polymer compounded with a substantially homogeneously distributed functionalized nanoparticle filler. The nanocomposite material is produced by compounding the polymer with the functionalized nanoparticle filler by imparting a shear force to a mixture of the polymer and filler capable of preventing agglomeration of the filler whereby the filler is substantially homogeneously distributed in the nanocomposite material. The electrical insulation may be adapted for AC or DC high voltage, and may also be adapted for low or medium voltage to prevent formation of water tree structures.

Nanostructured dielectric composite materials

A process for producing microtubes from nanoparticles includes forming a dispersion of the nanoparticles in a liquid phase and freeze-drying the dispersion to produce microtubes. The nanoparticles have surface functionality capable of self-bonding and bonding with the liquid phase during freeze-drying, particularly surface hydroxy functionality.

Tubular microstructures via controlled nanoparticle assembly

An ultrafast all-optical nonlinear switch. The switch has as components a substrate and a material disposed on the substrate. In one embodiment, the material includes a plurality of single-walled carbon nanotubes and a polymer forming a composite. Preferably, the polymer is polyimide. In another embodiment, the material includes a plurality of single-walled carbon nanotubes incorporated into a silica. The nanotube loading in the material is less than about 0.1 wt %. The material is a substantially transparent, third-order nonlinear optical material. The switch has a switching speed of less than 1 picosecond for light with a wavelength of about 1.55 micrometers. Also disclosed is a process for preparing the ultrafast all-optical nonlinear switch.

Ultrafast all-optical switch using carbon nanotube polymer composites

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Clifton Park, NY, United States of America

Linda S Schadler Feist