US 6,114,031 AGranted

Polarized films from pairwise-deposited semi-ionomeric syndioregic polymers

AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy

InventorsMarion J. Roberts, John D. Stenger-Smith, Kenneth J. Wynne, Peter Zarras, Andrew P. Chafin, Richard A. Hollins, Geoffrey A. Lindsay

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Abstract

This invention is comprised of new nonlinear optic polymers and a new Lanir-Blodgett (LB) film deposition scheme for which these polymers were designed. The invention is unique because it produces an electro-optic film which has never undergone electric-field poling nor high temperature treatment. It eliminates the dilution effect of the long hydrophobic alkyl groups, and creates stronger ionic bonds between the polymer chains. Finally, the invention reduces the time to make a film of a given thickness by at least half by virtue of depositing two polymer layers per stroke. The new polymers are comprised of asymmetric chromophores linked head-to-head by alternating two different kinds of bridging groups. One of the bridging groups contains one or more ionic groups, and the other bridging group contains one or more non-ionic, hydrophilic groups.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A polarized film, comprising:

at least one molecular bilayer having the formula:
##STR13## wherein:
n is the number of bilayers, is from 1 to 4000;
F is a semi-ionic mainchain, head-to-head chromophoric polymer which is represented by the formula:
##STR14## which floats on a liquid subphase of a Langmuir-Blodgett trough and is essentially insoluble in said subphase during the film deposition process;
S is an ionic molecule having essentially no nonlinear optical properties and having the opposite charge of F, and said S is soluble in said subphase;
B.sub.NFD is a nonionic bridging group, extending between and being part of said electron donating ends of two C.sub.F chromophores;
B.sub.IFA is an ionic bridging group, extending between and being part of said electron accepting ends of two C.sub.F chromophores;
C.sub.F chromophores have an electron accepting group at one end (nearest B.sub.IFA), and an electron donating group at the other end (nearest B.sub.NFD), and a rigid group which contains delocalized p-electrons electronically connecting the electron accepting end and the electron donating end of said chromophores;
y.sub.F is the degree of polymerization of F, which ranges from a minimum value of 2 to a maximum value of about 300.

7 more elements

A polarized film, comprising:

at least one molecular bilayer having the formula:
##STR19## wherein:
n is the number of bilayers, is from one to 4000;
F' is a semi-ionic mainchain, head-to-head chromophoric polymer which is represented by the formula:
##STR20## which during the manufacture of the film floats on a liquid subphase of a Langmuir-Blodgett trough and is essentially insoluble in said subphase;
S is an ionic molecule having essentially no nonlinear optical properties and having the opposite charge of F', and said S is soluble in said subphase;
B.sub.NFA is a nonionic bridging group, extending between and being part of said electron accepting ends of two C.sub.F chromophores;
B.sub.IFD is an ionic bridging group, extending between and being part of said electron donating ends of two C.sub.F chromophores;
C.sub.F is a chromophore of F', and wherein, said chromophore has an electron accepting group at one end (nearest N.sub.NFA), and an electron donating group at the other end (nearest N.sub.IFD), and a rigid group which contains delocalized p-electrons electronically connecting the electron accepting end and the electron donating end of said chromophores;
y.sub.F is the degree of polymerization of F', which ranges from a minimum value of 2 to a maximum value of about 300.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.