Methods for producing photosensitive microparticles, non-aqueous dispersions thereof and articles prepared therewith

1. A non-aqueous dispersion of photosensitive polymeric microparticles, comprising:

a) an organic continuous phase comprising an organic solvent; and

b) photosensitive polymeric microparticles dispersed in the organic continuous phase, wherein the microparticles comprise an at least partially polymerized component having integral surface and interior domains, wherein the surface domain comprises a polymeric material that is solubilized by the organic solvent, the interior domain comprises a polymeric material that is insoluble in the organic solvent, and the surface domain and/or interior domain is photosensitive.

2. The non-aqueous dispersion of claim 1 wherein the organic solvent is a polar solvent comprising an alcohol, diol, glycol, ether, amide, nitrile, ester, ketone, and/or lactam.

3. The non-aqueous dispersion of claim 1 wherein the photosensitive material is substantially non-extractable from the photosensitive polymeric microparticles.

4. The non-aqueous dispersion of claim 1 wherein the photosensitive polymeric microparticles are magnetic, magnetically responsive, electrically conductive, dichroic, chromatic and/or chemically reactive with a crosslinking material.

5. The non-aqueous dispersion of claim 1 , further comprising a nanopigment and/or non-photosensitive dye.

6. A curable, photosensitive film-forming composition prepared from:

(a) a film-forming component comprising at least one material having reactive functional groups; and

(b) a non-aqueous dispersion of photosensitive polymeric microparticles, comprising:

i) an organic continuous phase comprising an organic solvent; and

ii) photosensitive polymeric microparticles dispersed in the organic continuous phase, wherein the microparticles comprise an at least partially polymerized component having integral surface and interior domains, wherein the surface domain comprises at least one substantially hydrophilic region, the interior domain comprises at least one substantially hydrophobic region, and the surface and/or interior domain is photosensitive.

7. The film-forming composition of claim 6 , wherein the film-forming component (a) comprises an alkoxide of the general formula R x M(OR′) z-x where R is an organic radical, M is silicon, aluminum, titanium, and/or zirconium, each R′ is independently an alkyl radical, z is the valence of M, and x is a number less than z.

8. The film-forming composition of claim 6 wherein the organic solvent is a polar solvent comprising an alcohol, diol, glycol, ether, amide, nitrile, ester, ketone, and/or lactam.

9. A substrate coated with the curable film-forming composition of claim 6 .

10. The coated substrate of claim 9 wherein the substrate is an ophthalmic element selected from the group consisting of corrective lenses, non-corrective lenses, contact lenses, intra-ocular lenses, magnifying lenses, protective lenses and visors, and wherein after curing, the film-forming composition demonstrates a refractive index greater than 1.5.

11. The film-forming composition of claim 6 , wherein the material having reactive functional groups in the film-forming component (a) comprises an aminoplast, a capped or free polyisocyanate, and/or an ethylenically unsaturated compound.

12. The film-forming composition of claim 11 , wherein the material having reactive functional groups in the film-forming component (a) comprises an aminoplast, and wherein the substantially hydrophilic region of the surface domain of the microparticles is prepared from an isocyanurate.

13. The film-forming composition of claim 6 , wherein the photosensitive polymeric microparticles contain functional groups that are reactive with the reactive functional groups in the material in film-forming component (a).

14. The film-forming composition of claim 6 , wherein the photosensitive polymeric microparticles are photochromic.