Agiel laser and ballistic impact resistant high performance polycarbonate polymers for transparent eye and sensors safety shields

Aspen Systems proposes to design and synthesize transparent polymers with nonlinear, laser absorbing species and subanosecond response times. We will build polydiacetylens and multiphoton, laser-radiation-absorbing species directly into the polymer. Additional multi-photon absorbing chemical species. e.g., derivatives of 1,6 - diphenyl - 1,3,5-hexatriene will be incorporated into the polymer. Structural modification will be guided by results of predictive computational molecular models and quantum chemical approaches. These laser-blocking compound will be selected on the basis of their ability to block a wavelengths in the range of .4 to 1.4 microns. In this way we will identify molecular structures most likely to yield the greatest increase in optical density in response to laser radiation. We will team, Dr. William Welsh, University of Missouri, St. Louis, and expert in the field of computational modeling of high performance polymers, and Dr. Daniel Sandman, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, an expert in the synthesis of NLO polymers, and Dr. W. Grant McGimpsey, expert in the photochemicstry of nonlinear materials and structures with large, fast nonlinear optic susceptibilities. Dr. William Welsh, Univesity of Missour, St. Louis who has agreed to contribute an additional $50,000 in software and hardware to the program becuase of their interest in this subject.