Electro-optic (EO) devices having an EO polymer core comprising a first host polymer and a first nonlinear optical chromophore (NLOC); and a cladding comprising a second host polymer and a second NLOC, and methods of preparing the same; wherein the first NLOC has a first bridge covalently bonded to an electron-accepting group and an electron-donating group; wherein the second NLOC has a second bridge covalently bonded to an electron-accepting group and an electron-donating group; and wherein the second bridge is less conjugated than the first bridge such that the cladding has an index of refraction that is less than that of the EO polymer core, and wherein the second NLOC is present in the second host polymer in a concentration such that the cladding has a conductivity equal to or greater than at least 10% of the conductivity of the EO polymer core at a poling temperature.

Hydrogels that degrade under appropriate conditions of pH and temperature by virtue of crosslinking compounds that cleave through an elimination reaction are described. The hydrogels may be used for delivery of various agents, such as pharmaceuticals.

Hydrogels that degrade under appropriate conditions of pH and temperature by virtue of crosslinking compounds that cleave through an elimination reaction are described. The hydrogels may be used for delivery of various agents, such as pharmaceuticals.

Nonlinear optical chromophores having thiophene-containing bridging groups between the electron-donating and electron-accepting ends of the chromophore are disclosed, including bridging groups which contain cyclic moieties in combination with conjugated double bonds between the electron-donating and electron-accepting ends of the chromophore.

Nonlinear optical chromophores having thiophene-containing bridging groups between the electron-donating and electron-accepting ends of the chromophore are disclosed, including bridging groups which contain cyclic moieties in combination with conjugated double bonds between the electron-donating and electron-accepting ends of the chromophore.

Problem to Be Solved: to provide a chromophore having a far superior nonlinear optical activity to conventional chromophores and to provide a nonlinear optical element comprising said chromophore.

Solution: a chromophore comprising a donor structure D, a -conjugated bridge structure B, and an acceptor structure A, the donor structure D comprising an aryl group substituted with a substituted oxy group; and a nonlinear optical element comprising said chromophore.

Problem to Be Solved: to provide a chromophore having a far superior nonlinear optical activity to conventional chromophores and to provide a nonlinear optical element comprising said chromophore. Solution: a chromophore comprising a donor structure D, a -conjugated bridge structure B, and an acceptor structure A, the donor structure D comprising an aryl group substituted with a substituted oxy group; and a nonlinear optical element comprising said chromophore.

Hydrogels that degrade under appropriate conditions of pH and temperature by virtue of crosslinking compounds that cleave through an elimination reaction are described. The hydrogels may be used for delivery of various agents, such as pharmaceuticals.

Hydrogels that degrade under appropriate conditions of pH and temperature by virtue of crosslinking compounds that cleave through an elimination reaction are described. The hydrogels may be used for delivery of various agents, such as pharmaceuticals. This invention provides hydrogels that degrade to smaller, soluble components in a non-enzymatic process upon exposure to physiological conditions and to methods to prepare them. The hydrogels are prepared from crosslinking agents that undergo elimination reactions under physiological conditions, thus cleaving the crosslinking agent from the backbone of the hydrogel. The invention also relates to the crosslinking agents themselves and intermediates in forming the hydro gels of the invention. The biodegradable hydro gels prepared according to the methods of the invention may be of use in diverse fields, including biomedical engineering, absorbent materials, and as carriers for drug delivery.

There is provided an optical waveguide which has appropriate orientation properties, a production process of which is simple so as to be suitable for producing an electro-optical element, and is able to reduce power consumption of the element due to excellent electro-optical properties, and further can be formed into a thin film and be layered; and a material for the optical waveguide. A cladding material of an optical waveguide, characterized by comprising a polymer compound including a triarylamine structure, and a nonlinear optical compound; and an optical waveguide produced by using the cladding material.