Frontiers of Polymer Research

This book represents the proceedings of the First International Conference on Frontiers of Polymer Research held in New Delhi, India during January 20-25, 1991. Polymers have usually been perceived as substances to be used in insulations, coatings, fabrics, and structural materials. Defying this classical view, polymers are emerging as a new class of materials with potential applications in many new technologies. They also offer challenging opportunities for fundamental research. Recognizing a tremendous growth in world wide interest in polymer research and technology, a truly global "1st International Conference on Frontiers of Polymer Research" was organized by P. N. Prasad (SUNY at Buffalo), F. E. Karasz (University of Massachusetts) and J. K. Nigam (Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, India). The 225 participants represented 25 countries and a wide variety of academic, industrial and government groups. The conference was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Mr. Chandra Shekhar and had a high level media coverage. The focus of the conference was on three frontier areas of polymer research: (i) Polymers for photonics, where nonlinear optical properties of polymers show great promise, (ii) Polymers for electronics, where new conduction mechanisms and photophysics have generated considerable enthusiasm and (iii) High performance polymers as new advanced polymers have exhibited exceptionally high mechanical strength coupled with light weight.

About the authors PARAS N. PRASAD is Professor of Chemistry and Director of Photonics Research Laboratory at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he has been since 1974. He is the coeditor of the books Nonlinear Optical and Electroactive Polymers and Nonlinear Optical Effects in Organic Polymers. Dr. Prasad was an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow and received two gold medals from Bihar University for standing first in his MSc and BSc exams. He received a PhD in chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania in 1971. DAVID J. WILLIAMS has been Head of Molecular and Optical Electronics Laboratory at Eastman Kodak Company since 1985. Previously, he was manager of the Chemical Research Area at Xerox Corporation. He is the editor of the book Nonlinear Optical Properties of Organic and Polymeric Materials and a member of the American Chemical Society and Optical Society of America. Dr. Williams received his PhD in chemical physics from the University of Rochester in 1968.