Abstract

A series of polymers and copolymers were synthesized^[1] from benzidine and para substituted phenols oxidized by hydrogen peroxide reaction catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase enzyme. The polymerization reaction was carried out at room temperature in a monophasic organic solvent with small amount of water at pH 7.5. Values of the third order nonlinear optical susceptibility χ⁽³⁾ of these bioengineered polymers were measured in solution using the technique^[2] of degenerate four wave mixing. A frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser was the source of picosecond pulses at 532 nm wavelength. The vertically polarized output was split into three beams that are spatially and temporally overlapped in the sample contained in a pyrex glass cuvette of 1 or 2 mm optical path. The χ⁽³⁾ values of polymers were obtained by comparison with a standard reference sample of CS₂. The molecular hyperpolarizability y was obtained from the solution measurements and the corresponding macroscopic value of χ⁽³⁾ for the pure polymer was calculated.

© 1992 IQEC