SINGLET OXYGEN GENERATOR FOR A SOLAR POWERED, CHEMICALLY PUMPED IODINE LASER

ATOMIC IODINE IS USED SUCCESSFULLY AS THE ACTIVE ELEMENT IN HIGH POWER LASERS OPERATING AT 1.3 MICRON WAVELENGTH. THE IODINE LASER TRANSITION IS EFFICIENTLY PUMPED BY MOLECULAR OXYGEN IN ITS SINGLET DELTA EXCITED STATE. THE OBJECTIVE OFTHIS RESEARCH IS TO INVESTIGATE AND EVALUATE A METHOD FOR GENERATING SINGLET OXYGEN (02) GAS DIRECTLY FROM SOLID-PHASEMATERIAL, AND TO RELATE THE INFORMATION OBTAINED TO THE SYSTEM NEEDS OF A PRACTICAL IODINE LASER. IN AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM, SINGLET OXYGEN GENERATION IS PROPOSED AS A THREE STEP PROCESS, IN WHICH CERTAIN TRIPLET SENSITIZERS CONVERT GROUND-STATE OXYGEN TO SINGLET OXYGEN BY ABSORPTION OF SOLARENERGY. THE SINGLET OXYGEN OXIDIZES AN APPROPRIATE ACCEPTORMOLECULE TO FORM AN ENDOPEROXIDE, WHICH SERVES TO TRAP AND CONCENTRATE THE SINGLET OXYGEN. FOR SUBSEQUENT RELEASE OF THE STORED OXYGEN, THE ENDOPEROXIDE IS THERMALLY DECOMPOSED,GENERATING 02 IN THE GAS PHASE AND LEAVING THE ORIGINAL ACCEPTOR MOLECULE FOR RECYCLING. THE OVERALL ENERGY CONVERSION EFFICIENCY FROM SUNLIGHT TO LASER LIGHT IS POTENTIALLY GREATER THAN 10%. PHASE I SEEKS TO DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY TO GENERATE GASEOUS O2 DIRECTLY FROM SOLID PHASEENDOPEROXIDE MATERIAL.