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STTR Phase II: Photochemically Switched Chiral Materials for Chiral Nematic Displays

Award Information
Agency: National Science Foundation
Branch: N/A
Contract: 0750379
Agency Tracking Number: 0610809
Amount: $500,000.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: STTR
Solicitation Topic Code: CT
Solicitation Number: NSF 05-605
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 2008
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
343 PORTAGE BLVD
KENT, OH 44240
United States
DUNS: 802688457
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 J. William Doane
 PH.D.
 (330) 673-8784
 bdoane@kentdisplays.com
Business Contact
 J. William Doane
Title: PH.D.
Phone: (330) 673-8784
Email: bdoane@kentdisplays.com
Research Institution
 Kent State University
 Quan Li
 
PO Box 5190
Kent, OH 44242
United States

 (330) 672-1537
 Nonprofit College or University
Abstract

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project will develop an extremely low cost photodisplay for stored value cards such as gift cards, payroll and income support cards where, for the first time, the value of the card and other information can be displayed to the user updateable with each use. The enabling display technology based on photo switchable chiral materials provides displays that are thin, flexible, rugged, and above all, of such low cost that they add little to the cost of a card. Such photodisplays can provide a high resolution image without the need and cost of drive and control electronics necessary for electronic displays. The photodisplays are optically updated by a display writer in which images such as, numerical, bar codes, and other digital data can be repeatedly updated. The broader impact/commercial potential from this technology will advance the basic and applied science of photochemical chiral compounds for use in liquid crystalline materials by designing, synthesizing and studying new compounds to exploit their unique optical and electro optical effects. Thin, flexible photodisplays developed from these materials are similar to a photographic film, but with the advantage that the image can be erased, rewritten, hidden from view and made to reappear. The photodisplay films have the properties of an electronic display in which the image can be changed but without the driving electronics that forces electronic displays out of many markets. A further advantage of the photodisplay is that it can be mass produced by continuous roll-to-roll
manufacturing equipment of the type already developed for the label industry. The photodisplay therefore opens new display markets in many applications such as stored value cards, point of purchase signs, identity and security tags, signage and many other uses where updatable displays were not possible before because of cost, bulkiness and inflexibility of existing electronic displays.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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