The articles in this book summarize the work presented at the final workshop of the COST (European Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research) Action on Molecular Materials and Functional Polymers for Advanced Devices, which was held in June 2000 in Patras, Greece. The collection gives an excellent overview of the state-of-the-art in this field and the progress made by the coordinated research projects. The results range over the synthesis, physical properties, and applications of molecular materials (nanotubes, fullerenes, phthalocyanines), inorganic and inorganic-organic hybrid materials, and functional polymers (electronic conduction, photoluminiscence, optical storage, photovoltaic devices).

Chemistry and chemical engineering have changed significantly in the last decade. They have broadened their scopeâ€"into biology, nanotechnology, materials science, computation, and advanced methods of process systems engineering and controlâ€"so much that the programs in most chemistry and chemical engineering departments now barely resemble the classical notion of chemistry. Beyond the Molecular Frontier brings together research, discovery, and invention across the entire spectrum of the chemical sciencesâ€"from fundamental, molecular-level chemistry to large-scale chemical processing technology. This reflects the way the field has evolved, the synergy at universities between research and education in chemistry and chemical engineering, and the way chemists and chemical engineers work together in industry. The astonishing developments in science and engineering during the 20th century have made it possible to dream of new goals that might previously have been considered unthinkable. This book identifies the key opportunities and challenges for the chemical sciences, from basic research to societal needs and from terrorism defense to environmental protection, and it looks at the ways in which chemists and chemical engineers can work together to contribute to an improved future.

This comprehensive text provides a basic introduction to the optical properties of polymers, as well as a systematic overview of the latest developments in their nano engineering applications—including L-GRIN lenses, 3D holographic displays, optical gene detection, and more. Covering an increasingly important class of materials relevant not only in academic research but also in industry, this book emphasizes the importance of nano engineering in improving the fundamental optical properties of the functional polymers, elaborating on high-level research while thoroughly explaining the underlying principles.

The underlying premise of the research is that organic polymer films 1-100 micrometers in thickness composed of guest-host polymer materials or functional polymer materials exhibit useful optical, electro-optical or dielectric/electrical properties. Such films show promise as media for optical data-storage and processing and non-linear optics (NLO). However practical device materials require the properties to be optimized and their function (e.g. NLO activity) should be retained in time. Improved performance of organic films may be achieved through molecular design and molecular engineering and an understanding of the fundamental relationships between the macroscopic optical, electro-optical and dielectric properties and the molecular structure and molecular dynamics in the materials. To this end a major joint effort has been made for liquid crystalline side-chain (LCSC) polymers.

The field of molecular materials represents an exciting playground for the design, tailoring, and combination of chemical building blocks as carriers of physical properties and aims at the understanding and development of novel functional molecular devices. Within this extraordinarily widespread framework, the realization of materials with the desired functionalities can only be achieved through a rational design strategy based on a solid understanding of the chemical and physical features of each constituting building block. This book provides a general overview of molecular materials, discussing their key features in a simple and organic way by focusing more on basic concepts rather than on specialized descriptions, in order to supply the non-expert reader with the immediate fundamental tools and hints to understand and develop research in this field. With this view, it is a step-by-step guide toward the preparation of functional molecular materials, where the knowledge and understanding so far attained by the scientific community through the investigation of significant archetypical examples is deconstructed down to the fundamental basis and then presented in reverse, from the base to the top.

Linking molecular functionality to real-life material applications, this cutting-edge book provides engineers and researchers with the back ground needed to design bulk materials that meet specific property requirements.