Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention provides a novel thiophene-containing polynitrone compound having structure (II) wherein R1 is independently at each occurrence a C1-C20 aliphatic radical, a C3-C20 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C2-C30 aromatic radical; R2 is independently at each occurrence hydrogen, deuterium, a C1-C20 aliphatic radical, a C3-C20 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C2-C30 aromatic radical; and “a” is an integer from 2 to 4.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for storing holographic data comprising providing a holographic storage medium comprising an optically transparent substrate including a photochemically active dye having at least two nitrone groups; and irradiating the optically transparent substrate with a holographic interference pattern, wherein the pattern has a first wavelength and an intensity both sufficient to convert, within a volume element of the substrate, at least some of the photochemically active dye into a photo-product, and producing within the irradiated volume element concentration variations of the photo-product corresponding to the holographic interference pattern, thereby producing a first optically readable datum corresponding to the volume element.

Abstract: A method of making a holographic data storage medium is provided. The method comprises: (a) providing an optically transparent substrate comprising at least one photochemically active dye; and (b) irradiating the optically transparent substrate at least one wavelength at which the optically transparent substrate has an absorbance in a range from about 0.1 to 1, to produce a modified optically transparent substrate comprising at least one optically readable datum and at least one photo-product of the photochemically active dye. The at least one wavelength is in a range from about 300 nanometers to about 800 nanometers. The optically transparent substrate is at least 100 micrometers thick, and comprises the photochemically active dye in an amount corresponding to from about 0.1 to about 10 weight percent based on a total weight of the optically transparent substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for storing holographic data comprising providing a holographic storage medium comprising an optically transparent substrate including a photochemically active dye having at least two nitrone groups; and irradiating the optically transparent substrate with a holographic interference pattern, wherein the pattern has a first wavelength and an intensity both sufficient to convert, within a volume element of the substrate, at least some of the photochemically active dye into a photo-product, and producing within the irradiated volume element concentration variations of the photo-product corresponding to the holographic interference pattern, thereby producing a first optically readable datum corresponding to the volume element.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention provides a novel thiophene-containing polynitrone compound having structure (II) wherein R1 is independently at each occurrence a C1-C20 aliphatic radical, a C3-C20 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C2-C30 aromatic radical; R2 is independently at each occurrence hydrogen, deuterium, a C1-C20 aliphatic radical, a C3-C20 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C2-C30 aromatic radical; and “a” is an integer from 2 to 4.

Abstract: A molded article is formed by molding a holographic recording material into a shape that is determined by the function of an molded article and a volume hologram is formed in the molded article. Alternatively, only a portion of the molded article is formed from the holographic recording medium, or a molded article is formed by molding a thermoplastic into a shape that is determined by the function of the article, and then this article is then coated, for example by dip-coating, with a holographic recording medium, and al volume hologram is formed in the coating of the molded article.

Abstract: The present invention provides a formulation for a reactive dye layer for a limited-play optical storage medium, the reactive formulation including at least one carrier material or curable acrylate monomer, at least one reactive material disposed within the carrier material or acrylate monomer, and at least one photo-bleaching retarder material disposed within the at least one adhesive material. The at least one photo-bleaching retarder material includes at least one polymeric polyhydroxy compound selected from the group consisting of polyhydroxystyrenes, cellulose, and functionalized cellulose derivatives.

Abstract: A limited play optical storage medium for data is described which comprises a first substrate, a reflective layer, a data layer disposed between said substrate and said reflective layer; a reactive layer comprising at least one carrier, and at least one reactive material, and an optically transparent second substrate comprised of a polymethacrylate copolymer or blend comprising a polymethacrylate copolymer or homopolymer. The second substrate is disposed between the reactive layer and a laser incident surface and is tailored to provide an oxygen permeability in a range between about 0.1 Barrers and about 1.35 Barrers at 25° C.

Abstract: Polycarbonates containing low or undetectable levels of Fries rearrangement products and comprising repeat units derived from one or more of resorcinol, hydroquinone, methylhydroquinone, bisphenol A, and 4,4?-biphenol have been prepared by the melt reaction of one or more of the aforementioned dihydroxy aromatic compounds with an ester-substituted diaryl carbonate such as bis-methyl salicyl carbonate. Low, or in many instances undetectable, levels of Fries rearrangement products are found in the product polycarbonates obtained as the combined result of a highly effective catalyst system which suppresses the Fries reaction and the use of lower melt polymerization temperatures relative to temperatures required for the analogous polymerization reactions using diphenyl carbonate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for storing holographic data comprising providing an optically transparent substrate comprising a photochemically active dye; irradiating the optically transparent substrate with a holographic interference pattern, wherein the pattern has a first wavelength and an intensity both sufficient to convert, within a volume element of the substrate, at least some of the photochemically active dye into a photo-product, producing within the irradiated volume element concentration variations of the photo-product corresponding to the holographic interference pattern, thereby producing a first optically readable datum corresponding to the volume element; activating the optically transparent substrate to form an intramolecular hydrogen bond to a nitrone oxygen in residual photochemically active dye, to stabilize the optically readable datum.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reactive adhesive formulation for use in a limited play data storage medium, the reactive adhesive formulation including at least one adhesive material, at least one reactive material disposed within the at least one adhesive material and at least one photo-bleaching retarder material disposed within the at least one adhesive material. The at least one photo-bleaching retarder material includes resorcinol, 4-hexylresorcinol and/or polyhydroxystyrene.

Abstract: Stable, homogeneous melt solutions are prepared at temperatures of 200° C. or less from solid mixtures comprising at least one diaryl carbonate, at least one high melting dihydroxy aromatic compound (mp>200° C.), a transesterification catalyst, and optionally a lower melting dihydroxy aromatic compound. Thus, a stable, homogeneous melt solution is obtained from a solid mixture comprising 4,4?-biphenol (mp 282-284° C.) at a temperature of about 200° C. using either diphenyl carbonate or bis(methyl salicyl) carbonate as the diaryl carbonate component. It is shown that formation of the stable, homogeneous melt solutions requires the presence of the transesterification catalyst when substantial amounts of the high melting dihydroxy aromatic compound are present in the initial solid mixture. Solid mixtures comprising a variety of high melting bisphenols; 4,4?-biphenol; 3,3,3,3?-tetramethylspirobiindanbisphenol, and 4,4?-sulfonyidiphenol are converted to stable, homogeneous melt solutions at 200° C.

Abstract: Polycarbonates containing low or undetectable levels of Fries rearrangement products and comprising repeat units derived from one or more of resorcinol, hydroquinone, methylhydroquinone, bisphenol A, and 4,4?-biphenol have been prepared by the melt reaction of one or more of the aforementioned dihydroxy aromatic compounds with an ester-substituted diaryl carbonate such as bis-methyl salicyl carbonate. Low, or in many instances undetectable, levels of Fries rearrangement products are found in the product polycarbonates obtained as the combined result of a highly effective catalyst system which suppresses the Fries reaction and the use of lower melt polymerization temperatures relative to temperatures required for the analogous polymerization reactions using diphenyl carbonate.

Abstract: Stable, homogeneous melt solutions are prepared at temperatures of 200° C. or less from solid mixtures comprising at least one diaryl carbonate, at least one high melting dihydroxy aromatic compound (mp>200° C.), a transesterification catalyst, and optionally a lower melting dihydroxy aromatic compound. Thus, a stable, homogeneous melt solution is obtained from a solid mixture comprising 4,4′-biphenol (mp 282-284° C.) at a temperature of about 200° C. using either diphenyl carbonate or bis(methyl salicyl) carbonate as the diaryl carbonate component. It is shown that formation of the stable, homogeneous melt solutions requires the presence of the transesterification catalyst when substantial amounts of the high melting dihydroxy aromatic compound are present in the initial solid mixture.

Abstract: A thermoplastic composition is described, based on a copolycarbonate which includes at least two structural units. Structure I is usually a conventional carbonate based on bisphenol A, while structure II is a bisphenol carbonate which includes branched or linear groups extending from a bridging carbon atom or carbon group which connects two aromatic rings. The compositions exhibit very good melt flow, along with enhanced shear-thinning behavior. These characteristics are important for optical disc applications. Thus, related articles are described, along with processes for preparing such articles.

Abstract: A process for the making a film comprising dissolving a polycarbonate resin in an organic solvent to form a dissolved resin wherein the polycarbonate resin comprises a polycarbonate that exhibits favorable haze; casting a film of the mixture; and removing the solvent is provided in the present invention. The aforementioned polycarbonate film is also provided in the present invention.

Abstract: A thermoplastic composition is described, based on a copolycarbonate which includes at least two structural units. Structure I is usually a conventional carbonate based on bisphenol A, while structure II is a bisphenol carbonate which includes branched or linear groups extending from a bridging carbon atom or carbon group which connects two aromatic rings. The compositions exhibit very good melt flow, along with enhanced shear-thinning behavior. These characteristics are important for optical disc applications. Thus, related articles are described along with processes for preparing such articles.

Abstract: Polycarbonates containing low or undetectable levels of Fries rearrangement products and comprising repeat units derived from one or more of resorcinol, hydroquinone, methylhydroquinone, bisphenol A, and 4,4′-biphenol have been prepared by the melt reaction of one or more of the aforementioned dihydroxy aromatic compounds with an ester-substituted diaryl carbonate such as bis-methyl salicyl carbonate. Low, or in many instances undetectable, levels of Fries rearrangement products are found in the product polycarbonates obtained as the combined result of a highly effective catalyst system which suppresses the Fries reaction and the use of lower melt polymerization temperatures relative to temperatures required for the analogous polymerization reactions using diphenyl carbonate.

Abstract: This invention provides certain polycarbonates and polycarbonate blends useful in optical article applications. In a preferred embodiment, copolymers of, for example, certain ortho substituted bisphenol A-based polycarbonates and bisphenol A, optionally further comprising polycarbonate residues derived from ortho subsitituted spirobiindane compounds and alkylene or cycloalkylene diacid moieties. In a further embodiment, the invention provides copolymers of certain ortho-substituted bisphenol A moieties and ortho-substituted spirobiindane moieties. Also provided are optical articles comprised of the copolymers and blends of the invention. We have found that such copolymers and blends exhibit superior dimensional stability when exposed to water or moisture.

Abstract: The damping performance of an article and a polycarbonate composition is improved and a storage medium for data is provided with a glass transition temperature greater than about 150° C.