University of Massachusetts

Gte Laboratories Incorporated

US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

University of Lowell

Other

Sukant K Tripathy

Jayant Kumar

Lynne Ann Samuelson

Kenneth A Marx

Braja K Mandal

David L Kaplan

Daniel J Sandman

Mrinal Thakur

Mark A Druy

Ru Jong Jeng

Jan-Chan Huang

Ferdinando F Bruno

Joseph A Akkara

Aloke Kumar Jain

Yong Ming Chen

K Shridhara Alva

Ashok L Cholli

Ramaswamy Nagarajan

Boris S Elman

Kethinni G Chittibabu

Lian Li

Michael F Rubner

Wei Liu

Madhu S Ayyagari

Charles N Durfor

Gary M Carter

Yung-Jui Chen

Xiaogong Wang

Eugene F Barry

Mark L Bowers

Barbara A Yenser

Mario J Cazeca

Srinivasan Balasubramanian

Rajiv Pande

Sanjay Kamtekar

Dong-Yu Kim

H Gilbert Smith

Jan-Chuan Huang

Sandip K Sengupta

Bonnie J Wiley

Jeng-I Chen

Sutiyao Marturunkakul

Ru-Jong Jeng

Enzymatic polymerization of anilines or phenols around a template

Crosslinkable polymers which can exhibit second order nonlinear optical properties and methods of forming and crosslinking such polymers are disclosed. The crosslinkable polymers are combined with a crosslinking agent. Optionally, the crosslinking agent can exhibit second order nonlinear optical properties. In one embodiment, the crosslinking agent is thermally reactive. Alternatively the crosslinking agent is photoreactive. The combined polymer and crosslinking agent are exposed to an electric field which is sufficient to cause a component of the polymer which can exhibit second order nonlinear optical properties to be poled. The polymer is then crosslinked by the crosslinking agent. The crosslinking agent can be a guest compound that is-covalently bound to the polymer, which operates as a host compound.

Method and crosslinkable polymers for forming crosslinked second order nonlinear optical polymers

A polymer surface in contact with a liquid crystal medium is exposed to polarized light, whereby a covalently bound anisotropic component of the polymer surface aligns in response to the polarized light. Alignment of the anisotropic component causes alignment of the liquid crystal medium. An interference pattern of two polarized lights causes the covalently bound anisotropic component to form microgrooves on the polymer surface. A liquid crystal cell includes at least one polymer surface that has a covalently bound anisotropic component that can align in response to polarized light and a liquid crystal in contact with the polymer surface.

Liquid crystal alignment by covalently bound anisotropes

A method for making a multilayer structure having macroscopic second order nonlinear optical properties is described. The resulting nonlinear optical structures made by the method are also described. The method includes the steps of contacting a substrate having ionic adsorption sites with a first charged polyion; ceasing contact of the substrate with the first charged polyion; and thereafter, contacting the substrate with a second charged polyion having a charge opposite to that of the first charged polyion, wherein at least one of the polyions includes a nonlinear optical chromophoric side chain.

Nonlinear optical structure and methods of making

Polymers are formed enzymatically in the presence of an oligomeric or polymeric template. The method includes combining at least one redox monomer or, in some cases, a redox oligomer, with a template and an enzyme, such as horseradish peroxidase, to form a reaction mixture. The redox monomer or oligomer aligns along the template before or during the polymerization, the template thereby affecting at least one physical property of the resulting polymer, such as the molecular weight or shape of the polymer. In one embodiment, the template can be a polyelectrolyte or an optically active polymer.

Enzymatic template polymerization

Water-soluble polymers are formed by combining a water-soluble analog of a water-insoluble monomer, such as a water-insoluble redox monomer, with a water-based solvent and an enzyme. The water-soluble polymers formed can be electrically conductive or optically active. The water-soluble analog can be copolymerized with a water-insoluble redox monomer to form a copolymer that is also water-soluble. Polymers formed by the method of this invention can be layered on a surface to form, for example, alternating layers of polyanions and polycations.

Method of forming water-soluble, electrically conductive and optically

The separation profile results of capillary zone electrophoresis can be analyzed very rapidly, e.g., in 45 seconds or less, if the results are analyzed using a successive subtracting procedure to establish the separation profile as a function of time and projecting this separation profile forward in time to quantitatively analyze the separate species in the profile. The projection step can be accomplished using an algorithm along with or without Fourier transform (FT) techniques and the quantitative analysis can be carried out using principle component regression analysis (PCA) or suitable calibration procedures.

Rapid analysis of analyte solutions

The invention features a method of making a gradient-index polymer rod involving the steps of: combining a polymer with an additive, wherein the refractive index of the polymer material is different than the refractive index of the additive material; extruding the polymer and the additive into a polymer rod having a substantially uniform index of refraction profile; and immersing the rod having the substantially uniform index of refraction profile in a non-solvent under conditions and for a time that enables the non-solvent to permeate the rod and out-diffuse a portion of the additive material, thereby producing the gradient-index polymer rod. The rod produced by the method can be drawn into a graded index polymer fiber. The invention also features a gradient-index polymer rod (or fiber) of condensation-type polymer that is doped with an additive material. The refractive index of the additive material is different than the refractive index of the polymer and the rod (or fiber) has a concentration profile of the additive that varies along the radial direction of the rod (or fiber) from the center to the surface of the rod (or fiber).

Gradient-index polymer rods and fibers

A method of detecting the presence of a substance being monitored in a medium, selected from the group of substances including organophosphorus compounds and the metal ions Zn, Be and Bi, including the steps of: providing a 1,2-dioxetane phenyl phosphate compound; providing a phosphatase that catalytically degrades the 1,2-dioxetane phenyl phosphate compound to produce light, the catalytic activity of the phosphatase toward 1,2-dioxetane phenyl phosphate compound being altered by the substance being monitored; exposing the 1,2-dioxetane phenyl phosphate compound and the phosphatase together to a medium which may contain the substance being monitored; detecting light produced after the exposing step; and determining, from the detected light, the presence and concentration in the medium of the substance being monitored.

Chemiluminescence-based method for rapid and sensitive in-situ detection

A nonlinear optical composition and a method of forming the nonlinear optical composition are disclosed. The nonlinear optical composition includes a silicon-containing component and a nonlinear optical component which causes the nonlinear optical composition to exhibit second order nonlinear optical polarization of electromagnetic radiation, such as light. The method includes forming a sol of the silicon-containing component and the nonlinear optical component of the composition. A gel is formed from the sol. The nonlinear optical component is then poled while the gel is exposed to conditions sufficient to cause formation of a nonlinear optical composition which exhibits second order nonlinear optical polarization of electromagnetic radiation.

Silicon-containing networked non-linear optical compositions

A nonlinear optical interpenetrating polymer network which can exhibit nonlinear optical properties includes a first polymer, and a second polymer interpenetrating the first polymer. At least one of the polymers includes a nonlinear optical component. A method of forming a nonlinear optical interpenetrating polymer network which can exhibit nonlinear optical properties includes combining a first prepolymer, which can react to form a first polymer, with at least one monomer which can react to form a second polymer. At least one of either the first prepolymer or the monomer include a nonlinear optical component. The nonlinear optical component is poled and the first prepolymer and the monomer, or monomers, of the second prepolymer are reacted while the nonlinear optical component is being poled. The reaction of the first prepolymer forms a first polymer network and reaction of the monomer(s) form a second polymer network which interpenetrates the first polymer network to form an interpenetrating polymer network. The interpenetrating polymer network fixes the nonlinear optical component in the poled position, thereby forming an interpenetrating polymer network which exhibits nonlinear optical properties.

Second order nonlinear optical interpenetrating polymer networks

A novel photocrosslinkable polymeric system has been developed for processing into films having stable second-order nonlinear optical properties. In the present system, polymers bearing photo-crosslinkable chromophores, such as polyvinylcinnamate and are reacted with appropriately designed nonlinear optical molecules with the cinnamate or other photocrosslinkable functionalities for photocrosslinking at one, two or more points. The system can be poled and photocrosslinked in the poled state to yield a material with stable optical nonlinearity and large electro-optic coefficients.

Photocrosslinked second order nonlinear optical polymers

A method is disclosed for separating a nucleic acid polymer without substantially denaturing the nucleic acid polymer. The method includes contacting a liquid medium, in which the nucleic acid polymer is disposed, with an electrically conductive polymer substrate. The substrate has an electrical charge which, when the substrate is contacted with said liquid medium, causes at least a portion of the nucleic acid polymer in the liquid medium to bind to said substrate without substantially denaturing the nucleic acid polymer. The substrate is then separated from the liquid medium, whereby the bound nucleic acid polymer is removed from the liquid medium, thereby isolating the bound nucleic acid polymer from the liquid medium without substantially denaturing the nucleic acid polymer.

Process for separating nucleic acid polymers

A photodetection device uses configurations of photodynamic proteins which exhibit a change in electrical conductivity in response to a corresponding change in incident light intensity in the presence of an applied voltage. The photodynamic proteins are coupled to an electrical conductor, a voltage source and a conductivity sensor. The photodynamic protein complex includes at least one layer of a photodynamic protein and preferably includes a multi-layered thin-film structure with each layer comprised of either a photodynamic protein or a conductive polymer or oligomer. Groups of linked photodetectors where the photodetectors have different, but overlapping, spectral response ranges are used to detect specific wavelengths of incident light. An array of these groups of linked photodetectors arranged in a predetermined spatial pattern allows detection of both colon and images. An image processing system is constructed from this array of groups of linked photodetectors by coupling the output of the array to a processing component and the output of the processing component to an output device. A dynamic adaptive camouflage system is derived from the image processing system by mounting the photodetectors and display devices on an apparatus to be camouflaged and displaying a spatially shifted image of the incident ambient light.

Photodynamic protein-based photodetector and photodetector system for

Growing community of inventors

Acton, MA, United States of America

Sukant K Tripathy