Abstract: Organic-inorganic hybrid nanomaterials, comprising an inorganic portion (e.g., inorganic particles such as silica particles) that are coated/covered with one or more polymers compounds (i.e., the organic portion), and methods for synthesizing such hybrid nanomaterials are disclosed. Also disclosed are hybrid nanomaterials that comprise an inorganic portion (e.g., inorganic particles such as silica particles) that have one or more polymers or polymer portions (i.e., the organic portion) grafted and/or attached thereto, and methods for synthesizing such hybrid nanomaterials.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides a method for producing an exfoliated nanocomposite. The method involves charging to water, as the continuous phase, monomers, polymerizable surfactant, and water-soluble initiator. The monomers are allowed to polymerize under agitation to form an emulsion of polymers, and the polymerizable surfactant is bound to the polymers so formed, with an ionic end of the polymerizable surfactant extending from the polymers to provide surface charges. Thereafter, a suspension of nanofillers in water is charged to the emulsion. The nanofillers are oppositely charged from the ionic end of the polymerizable surfactant such that they electrostatically bind to the polymers within the emulsion. The water is subsequently decanted to produce a nanocomposite with an exfoliated structure.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides a method for producing an exfoliated nanocomposite. The method involves charging to water, as the continuous phase, monomers, polymerizable surfactant, and water-soluble initiator. The monomers are allowed to polymerize under agitation to form an emulsion of polymers, and the polymerizable surfactant is bound to the polymers so formed, with an ionic end of the polymerizable surfactant extending from the polymers to provide surface charges. Thereafter, a suspension of nanofillers in water is charged to the emulsion. The nanofillers are oppositely charged from the ionic end of the polymerizable surfactant such that they electrostatically bind to the polymers within the emulsion. The water is subsequently decanted to produce a nanocomposite with an exfoliated structure.

Abstract: This invention provides novel polyethers and polycarbonates which exhibit nonlinear optical response, and which have utility as a transparent optical component in optical light switch and high modulator devices.These polyethers and polycarbonates are the polymerization product of one or more monomers having the formula ##STR1## in which Z is a conjugated heterocyclic substituent having a NO.sub.2 or a CN group. Further, the invention relates to a method of making the polycarbonate by a ring opening polymerization in the presence of an electric field. In a separate embodiment, the invention relates to non-linear optical devices made with these polymers.

Abstract: An information handling system particularly suitable for motor vehicle use. A master station is arranged to transmit information to, and to receive and display information from, a plurality of sequentially-addressed peripheral stations. Synchronization and clock signals, as well as information control signals, are transmitted by the master station to the various peripheral stations, each of which responds to a particular information frame. An address code determines the information frame to which a given peripheral station responds. The peripheral station may control devices actuated by connection to a power bus or sensors from which information is obtained and transmitted to the master station for display.

Abstract: An improved peripheral station in an information handling system of the type having a signal bus, a master station and a plurality of peripheral stations controlled by signals transmitted on the signal bus by the master station. Information is transmitted cyclically in information frames and each peripheral station responds to one of these frames. The peripheral station includes an address decoder for identifying the information frame to which the peripheral station responds, a gate circuit for coupling signals from the signal bus to one or more outputs of the peripheral station, circuitry for verifying the gated signal by comparing it with a corresponding next-received signal, and a synchronization detector for maintaining synchronization of the signals transmitted from the master station to the peripheral station.