Polytechnic University

Other

Hayes Soloway, Hennessey, Grossman & Hage

Mark M Green

Otto Vogl

Sung Yun Yang

Jonathan V Selinger

Helical arrays comprising structurally different chiral non-racemic molecules or molecular entities that control the helical sense of the helical array provide a method for temperature measurement with a unique characteristic in that the temperature dependent chiral biases of the competing structurally different chiral non-racemic entities control the helical sense population since these biases differ in their temperature dependence. By varying the composition of the chiral non-racemic entities, the temperature at which the helical sense population is equal and how the helical sense population varies as a function of temperature can be controlled.

Temperature measurement and temperature controlled switching using change in helical sense

Helical arrays comprising structurally different chiral non-racemic molecules or molecular entities that control the helical sense of the helical array provide a method for temperature measurement with a unique characteristic in that the temperature dependent chiral biases of the competing structurally different chiral non-racemic entities control the helical sense population since these biases differ in their temperature dependence. By varying the composition of the chiral non-racemic entities, the temperature at which the helical sense population is equal and how the helical sense population varies as a function of temperature can be controlled. In this way, competing structurally different non-racemic chiral groups can be varied in their composition so that a helical array can be formed under their effect and be sensitive to temperature over a wide temperature range. The resulting material, which can be used as a temperature measuring material or as a switch depending on fast reversible temperature changes, can be used in the context of a plastic unit, liquid displays, liquid crystals, and the like.

Temperature measurement and temperature controlled switching based on helical sense dependent liquid crystal phases

Forming graft copolymers in water using labeling of water soluble polymers with photoinitiators. Water soluble polymers can form environmentally responsive hydrophobically stimulated cages. The cages, which contain initiating radicals after irradiation, may be &ldquo;opened&rdquo; or &ldquo;closed&rdquo; by changes in environmental conditions. When the cage is closed, the radicals are trapped inside and thus do not cause substantial polymerization of water soluble monomers in the same solution. When the cage is closed, the radicals escape and cause polymerization. In another variation, hydrogels and graft copolymers are formed by covalently linking phototoinitiator groups to water soluble polymers that do not form cages. Thus, monomers may form grafts to the polymer, allowing formation of physical hydrogels. The physical hydrogels formed in either case show properties responsive to pH, salt and/or solvent composition, so that the hydrogels may be rendered to a powder by addition of non-solvents and these powders can reform the gels.

Hydrogels and methods for their production

An optical information storage material which can reversibly store said information comprising a polymeric material with a dependence of optical activity on temperature characterized in that the optical activity is substantially invariant at temperatures below Tg of said polymer, and variant at a temperatures at or near or above the Tg.

Chiral optical polymer based information storage material

This invention provides a photoswitchable compound comprising interconvertible mirror image units or interconvertible chiral diastereomeric units connected as pendant groups to a stiff polymer having interconvertible left- and right-handed helical portions of its backbone. Further provided by this invention is a photoswitchable compound formed by the method comprising combining an amount of the compound capable of optical activity and capable of changing its optical activity with an amount of a stiff polymer comprised of interconvertible left- and right-handed helical portions. Additionally, this invention provides a method for reversibly storing optical data comprising providing a material comprised of a mixture of a stiff polymer having interconvertible left- and right-handed helical portions and connected units, said units being capable of optical activity and capable of changing its optical activity and irradiating said material with light capable of changing the optical activity of said material.

Reversible chiral optical data storage using majority rule of polymer

Thermally reversible gels comprising liquid solvents wherein the solvent is converted into a thermally reversible gel upon the addition of a rigid polymer, preferably, a liquid crystal forming polymer. Structural modifications of the rigid polymer, and in particular modifications of the side-chain, adapt the rigid polymer to form thermally reversible gels in any given solvent media.

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New York, NY, United States of America

Mark M Green