IP Library Granted Patent US 12699208
Granted Patent B2
US 12699208 · App. 18/019,745 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Photochromic compound, photochromic curable composition, cured body, lens and eyeglasses

Inventors: Masayuki Miyazaki (Shunan, JP); Katsuhiro Mori (Shunan, JP); Junji Momoda (Shunan, JP)
Assignee: TOKUYAMA CORPORATION
G02B1/041C08G65/34C08L71/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12699208
App. No.
18/019,745
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention aims to provide a photochromic compound capable of exhibiting photochromic properties regardless of matrix, and the compound is stably dispersed without aggregation in a process of molding (curing) an optical base material. According to the present invention, a polymer photochromic compound, which has a block polymeric group of an oligomeric chain group having relatively favorable compatibility with a solid matrix and an oligomeric chain group having poor compatibility with a solid matrix, forms a nano- to micro-phase separation structure in a solid matrix. The compound does not rely on the solid matrix, its dispersibility is improved and aggregation is prevented or reduced, whereby excellent photochromic properties can be exhibited.

Claims (41)

1 . A photochromic compound represented by formula (1) or (2) below:

in the formulae,

PC is a group having at least one photochromic moiety,

X1 and X3 are each independently a linear or branched alkylene group having 12 to 30 carbon atoms, a polyoxypropylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units, a polyoxyethylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units, a polyoxytetramethylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units, or a polysiloxane group having 3 to 200 repeating units, where the repeating unit of the polysiloxane group comprises a silylene oxy group having two substituents selected from the group consisting of a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a linear or branched alkyloxy group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and an aromatic group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms,

X2 is a linear or branched alkylene group having 12 to 30 carbon atoms, a polyoxypropylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units, a polyoxyethylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units, or a polyoxytetramethylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units,

X1 and X2 groups are different from each other, X2 and X3 groups are different from each other, and X1 and X3 may be the same group,

when X2 in the formula (1) or X3 in the formula (2) is a linear or branched alkylene group having 12 to 30 carbon atoms, Z is a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, or an alkyloxy group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; when X2 in the formula (1) or X3 in the formula (2) is a polyoxypropylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units, a polyoxyethylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units, a polyoxytetramethylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units, or a polysiloxane group having 3 to 200 repeating units comprising a silylene oxy group having two substituents selected from the group consisting of a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a linear or branched alkyloxy group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and an aromatic group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, Z is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or an alkyloxy group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms,

L1 is a divalent group and is selected from the groups listed below, where the dashed line portion indicates the portion to be bonded to the photochromic moiety PC and X1,

L2 is an m+1 valent bond and is selected from the groups listed below, where the dashed line portion indicates a bond to X1 and X2,

L3 is an l+1 valent bond and is selected from the groups listed below, where the dashed line portion indicates a bond to X2 and X3, and

n is an integer of 1 to 8; m is an integer of 1 to 4; and l is an integer of 1 to 4.

2 . The photochromic compound according to claim 1 , wherein

the X1 is a linear or branched alkylene group having 12 to 30 carbon atoms, a polyoxypropylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units, or a polysiloxane group having 3 to 200 repeating units comprising a sylileneoxy group having two substituents selected from the group consisting of a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a linear or branched alkyloxy group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and an aromatic group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, and

the X2 is a polyoxyethylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units or a polyoxytetramethylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units.

3 . The photochromic compound according to claim 2 , wherein the photochromic moiety has at least one structure selected from the group consisting of naphthopyran, spirooxazine, spiropyran, flugide, flugimide, and diarylethene.

4 . The photochromic compound according to claim 1 , wherein

the X1 is a polyoxyethylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units, and

the X2 is a linear or branched alkylene group having 12 to 30 carbon atoms, a polyoxypropylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units, or a polyoxytetramethylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units.

5 . The photochromic compound according to claim 4 , wherein the photochromic moiety has at least one structure selected from the group consisting of naphthopyran, spirooxazine, spiropyran, flugide, flugimide, and diarylethene.

6 . The photochromic compound according to claim 1 , wherein

the X1 is a polyoxytetramethylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units, and

the X2 is a linear or branched alkylene group having 12 to 30 carbon atoms, a polyoxypropylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units, or a polyoxyethylene group having 3 to 200 repeating units.

7 . The photochromic compound according to claim 6 , wherein the photochromic moiety has at least one structure selected from the group consisting of naphthopyran, spirooxazine, spiropyran, flugide, flugimide, and diarylethene.

8 . The photochromic compound according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one photochromic moiety has at least one structure selected from the group consisting of naphthopyran, spirooxazine, spiropyran, flugide, flugimide, and diarylethene.

9 . The photochromic compound according to claim 8 , wherein the naphthopyran moiety is an indenonaphthopyran moiety.

10 . The photochromic compound according to claim 9 , wherein the indenonaphthopyran moiety is represented by formula (6) below:

in the formula,

R 1 and R 2 are each independently a bond to bond to the L1, a hydroxyl group, an alkyl group, a haloalkyl group, a cycloalkyl group that may have a substituent, an alkoxy group, an amino group, a substituted amino group, an amide group, a substituted amide group, a heterocyclic group that may have a substituent, a cyano group, a halogen atom, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group that may have a substituent, a nitro group, a formyl group, a hydroxycarbonyl group, an alkylcarbonyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, an aralkyl group that may have a substituent, an aralkoxy group that may have a substituent, an aryloxy group that may have a substituent, an aryl group that may have a substituent, a heteroaryl group that may have a substituent, a thiol group, an alkoxyalkylthio group, a haloalkylthio group, or a cycloalkylthio group that may have a substituent,

a is an integer of 0 to 4, and b is an integer of 0 to 4,

when a is 2 to 4, a plurality of R 2 may be the same or different from each other,

when b is 2 to 4, a plurality of R 1 may be the same or different from each other,

when a is 2 to 4 and neighboring R 2 are present, the two neighboring R 2 together may form a ring that may contain an oxygen atom, a carbon atom, a sulfur atom, or a nitrogen atom together with the carbon atom to be bonded to the R 2 , and the ring may also have a substituent,

when b is 2 to 4 and neighboring R 1 are present, the two neighboring R 1 together may form a ring that may contain an oxygen atom, a carbon atom, a sulfur atom, or a nitrogen atom together with the carbon atom to be bonded to the R 1 , and the ring may also have a substituent,

R 3 and R 4 are each independently an aryl group that may have a substituent or a heteroaryl group that may have a substituent, and the substituent may be bonded to the L1,

R 5 and R 6 are each independently a bond to be bonded to the L1, a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an alkyl group, a haloalkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkoxyalkyl group, a formyl group, a hydroxycarbonyl group, an alkylcarbonyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, a halogen atom, an aralkyl group that may have a substituent, an aralkoxy group that may have a substituent, an aryloxy group that may have a substituent, an aryl group that may have a substituent, or a heterocyclic group that may have a substituent,

two of R 5 and Re together with carbon atoms at the 13-position as a target for bonding, may form an aliphatic ring having 3 to 20 ring-membered carbon atoms, a fused polycyclic ring having an aromatic ring or an aromatic heterocyclic ring fused to the aliphatic ring, a heterocyclic ring having 3 to 20 ring-membered atoms, or a fused polycyclic ring having an aromatic ring or an aromatic heterocyclic ring fused to the heterocyclic ring, where the rings may have substituents,

the number of n groups selected from the group consisting of a substituent of an aryl group of R 1 , R 2 or R 3 , a substituent of a heteroaryl group of R 3 , a substituent of an aryl group of R 4 , a substituent of a heteroaryl group, R 5 , and R 6 are bonded to the L1.

11 . A photochromic curable composition comprising the photochromic compound according to claim 1 and a polymerizable compound.

12 . A cured body that is a polymer of the photochromic curable composition according to claim 11 .

13 . A lens comprising the cured body according to claim 12 .

14 . Eyeglasses comprising the lens according to claim 13 .