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.

Trends in Polymers Science and Technology: Globalization and Development of New Materials; Y. Ito. Polymers for Photonics: Novel Polymeric Composite Materials for Photonics; P.N. Prasad, et al. Polymers for Electronics: Conducting Polymers; A.G. MacDiarmid, A.J. Epstein. High Performance Polymers: OrganicInorganic Composites; J.E. Mark. Polymers for Biotechnology: Biocompatible Polymers and Their Applications; N. Ogata. Polymers Blends and Composites: Thermodynamics and Interfaces of Polymer Blends; J. Kressler, T. Inoue. Multifunctional and Intelligent Polymers: Intelligent Polymer Membranes; W.E. Price, et al. Advanced Materials from Natural Polymers: The Study of Composite Reinforced with Natural Fibers; M. Sitepu. Sol-Gel Processed Materials: Sol-Gel Synthesis of Transition Metal Oxopolymers; J. Livage. Polymer Surfaces: New Directions in Organosilicon Surface Science; M.J. Owen. 55 additional articles. Index.

This book summarizes the state ofthe art research presented at the Fourth International Conference on Frontiers of Polymersand Advanced Materialsheld in Cairo, Egypt in January 4-9, 1997. This conference follows the successful conferences held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1995, in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1993 andin New Delhi, India in 1991. These conferences focussed on the most recent and important advances in a wide range of carefully chosen subject areas dealing with advanced materials, their science and technology and new business opportunities resulting from recent technological advances. As its predecessors, the conference held in Cairo was truly international with strong participation of 488 deiegales representing 37 countries from the USA and Egypt, as weil as Europe, South East Asia, Japan, South Africa and the Middle East. The conference was organized by the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, The Arab Society ofMaterials Science and the State University ofNew Y ork at Butfalo. The stated goals ofthe conference were: * To highlight advances and new. findings in the general area of polymers and advanced materials. - * T o foster global collaboration between the USA, Egypt and other nations in the general field of polymers and advanced materials. * To promote the development of scientific ilifrastructure in this field among the different participating countries, especially in the Middle East. * To create a basisforfuture long-term scientific exchanges between the USA and Egypt, and/or other countries.

Thisbook continuesthe tradition ofproviding the scientificcommunity with infonnation on some ofthe most important advances reported at aseries ofconferences on Frontiers ofPolymers and Advanced Materials. The particular meeting covered in this proceedings volume was held in KualaLumpur, Malaysia, from January 16th through the 20th, 1995. It follows earlier proceedings, also published by Plenum, for a conference in New Delhi in 1991, and another in Jakarta in 1993. All of these conferences focused on the most recent and important advances in a wide range of carefully chosen subject areas dealing with advanced materials and new technologies. TheMalaysiaConference was organized by the Malaysian MinistryofScience, Technology and Environment; Malaysian Industry-Government Group for Higher Technology; Standards and Industrial Research Institute ofMalaysia; State University ofNew York at Buffalo; and Malaysian Plastic Manufacturers Association. The stated goals ofthe conference were: To highlight advances and new findings in Polymers and Advanced Materials To bring together leading international scientists, engineers and top level industrial managementfor discussionsonthe CUTTent status ofadvanced materials, new technologies and industrial opportunities To foster global communication in polymers and advanced materials technology. Tbe Malaysianconferencecoveredbytheseproceedingsemphasized"composites and blends," ''high-performance materials," ''materials for photonics," ''materials for electronics," ''biomaterials'', "recycling of materials," "sol-gel and processed materials," "advanced materials from natural products," and ''multifunctional and smart materials." There was also a separate symposium on ''business opportunities.""

Thisbook continuesthe tradition ofproviding the scientificcommunity with infonnation on some ofthe most important advances reported at aseries ofconferences on Frontiers ofPolymers and Advanced Materials. The particular meeting covered in this proceedings volume was held in KualaLumpur, Malaysia, from January 16th through the 20th, 1995. It follows earlier proceedings, also published by Plenum, for a conference in New Delhi in 1991, and another in Jakarta in 1993. All of these conferences focused on the most recent and important advances in a wide range of carefully chosen subject areas dealing with advanced materials and new technologies. TheMalaysiaConference was organized by the Malaysian MinistryofScience, Technology and Environment; Malaysian Industry-Government Group for Higher Technology; Standards and Industrial Research Institute ofMalaysia; State University ofNew York at Buffalo; and Malaysian Plastic Manufacturers Association. The stated goals ofthe conference were: To highlight advances and new findings in Polymers and Advanced Materials To bring together leading international scientists, engineers and top level industrial managementfor discussionsonthe CUTTent status ofadvanced materials, new technologies and industrial opportunities To foster global communication in polymers and advanced materials technology. Tbe Malaysianconferencecoveredbytheseproceedingsemphasized"composites and blends," ''high-performance materials," ''materials for photonics," ''materials for electronics," ''biomaterials'', "recycling of materials," "sol-gel and processed materials," "advanced materials from natural products," and ''multifunctional and smart materials." There was also a separate symposium on ''business opportunities.""

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.

This book presents the proceedings of the Second International Conference on Frontiers of Polymers and Advanced Materials held in Jakarta, Indonesia during January 10-15, 1993. This conference was organized and sponsored by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, the Agency for Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), and the Indonesian Polymer Association. The 244 participants represented a total of 24 countries and a wide variety of academic, industrial and government groups. The inauguration was held in the Royal Palace and was performed by President Soeharto of Indonesia. High level media coverage ensured worldwide recognition. The need for such a conference was emphasized by the fact that polymers have emerged as an important class of materials offering challenging opportunities for both fundamental research and new technological applications. There has been a tremendous growth of interest in the field of polymers, both in academia and in industry, and polymer science offers tremendous opportunities for both fundamental and applied work. This globally represented Second International Conference on Frontiers of Polymers and Advanced Materials was timely, especially given the current heightened enthusiasm for polymers and emerging novel applications.

This treatise is a compendium of papers based on invited talks presented at the American Chemical Society Symposium on Electroactive Polymers which covered nonlinear optical polymers and conducting polymers, the common denominator being the correlated pi-electron structures. The improved understanding of the consequences of pi-electron delocalization upon nonlinear optical properties and charge carrier dynamics has laid the foundation for the rapid development and application of the electroresponse of conjugated polymers. As a result, the area of electroactive and nonlinear optical polymers is emerging as a frontier of sCience and technology. It is a multidisciplinary field that is bringing together scientists and engineers of varied background to interface their expertise. The recent explosion of interest in this area stems from the prospect of utilizing nonlinear optical effects for optical switching and logic operations in optical computing, optical signal processing, optical sensing and optical fiber communications. Polymers and organic are rapidly becoming one of the major material classes for nonlinear optical applications along with multiple quantum wells, ferroelectrics and other oxides, and direct band-gap semiconductors. The reasons for this lie in the unique molecular structures of polymers and organics and the ability to molecularly engineer the architecture of these structures through chemical synthesis.