Three-dimensional self-assembly of brush block copolymers to photonic crystals

The development of Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization has allowed the world of block copolymers to expand into brush block copolymers. Brush block copolymers consist of a polymer backbone with polymeric side chains, forcing the backbone to hold a stretched conformation and giving it a worm-like shape. These brush block copolymers have a number of advantages over tradition block copolymers, including faster self-assembly behavior, larger domain sizes, and much less entanglement. This makes them an ideal candidate in the development of a bottom-up approach to forming photonic crystals. Photonic crystals are periodic nanostructures that transmit and reflect only certain wavelengths of light, forming a band gap. These are used in a number of coatings and other optical uses. One and two dimensional photonic crystals are commercially available, though are often expensive and difficult to manufacture. Previous work has focused on the creation of one dimensional photonic crystals from brush block copolymers. In this thesis, I will focus on the synthesis and characterization of asymmetric brush block copolymers for self-assembly into two and three dimensional photonic crystals. Three series of brush block copolymers were made and characterized by Gel Permeation Chromatography and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy. They were then made into films through compressive thermal annealing and characterized by UV-Vis Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Evidence of non-lamellar structures were seen, indicating the first reported creation of two or three dimensional photonic crystals from brush block copolymers.

A study of the proposed Santa Fe extension from the present Redondo Branch at El Segundo to Los Angeles Harbor

The Los Angeles Harbor at San Pedro with its natural advantages, and the big development of these now underway, will very soon be the key to the traffic routes of Southern California. The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railway company realizing this and, not wishing to be caught asleep, has planned to build a line from El Segundo to the harbor. The developments of the harbor are not the only developments taking place in these localities and the proposed new line is intended to include these also.