SMALL SCALE FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
The disclosure provides for a small scale functional material, where the small scale functional material is imbibed with a material having a functionality response to an externally applied field.
1 . A small scale functional material, comprising:
a particle having a cross-linked polymer domain with a volume mean diameter of 5 nm to 175 nm; and
a material functionally responsive to an externally applied field dispersed throughout the particle and being present from about 6 percent by weight to about 60 percent by weight.
2 . The material of claim 1 , where the material functionality responsive to the externally applied field is an optically-active functional material responsive to an applied field.
3 . The material of claim 2 , where the optically-active functional material is selected from the group of a liquid crystal substance, a dichroic dye, and combinations thereof.
4 . The material of claim 3 , where the liquid crystal substance includes a liquid crystal with a negative dielectric anisotropy.
5 . (canceled)
6 . The material of claim 2 , where the optically-active functional material has a refractive index value that is greater than the refractive index value of the cross-linked polymer domain.
7 . The material of claim 2 , where the optically-active functional material functions to prevent transmittance of at least a portion of light in at least one of an infrared, a visible, and an ultraviolet frequency range through the small scale functional material.
8 . The material of claim 1 , where the cross-linked polymer domain is formed from monomers of methyl methacrylate, styrenes, butyl acrylate, and mixtures thereof.
9 . (canceled)
10 . A process for the preparation of a small scale functional material, comprising:
forming an emulsion of particles, where each of the particles has a cross-linked polymer domain with a volume mean diameter of 5 nm to 175 nm; and
imbibing a material functionally responsive to an externally applied field substantially throughout the cross-linked polymer domain of the particles to form the small scale functional material.
11 . The process of claim 10 , where imbibing the material includes imbibing an optically-active functional material responsive to an applied field substantially throughout the cross-linked polymer domain of the particles.
12 . The process of claim 11 , where the optically-active functional material has a refractive index value that is greater than the refractive index value of the cross-linked polymer domain.
13 . The process of claim 10 , where forming the emulsion includes an emulsion polymerization of monomers of methyl methacrylate, styrene, butyl acrylate, and mixtures thereof.
14 . The process of claim 10 , including increasing a crosslink density of the cross-linked polymer domain of the small scale functional material after imbibing the optically-active functional material substantially throughout the cross-linked polymer domain of the particles.
15 . The process of claim 10 , where increasing the crosslink density includes forming non-spherical particles.
16 . The process of claim 10 , including chemically-linking the material to the cross-linked polymer domain of the particles.
17 . A composite material, comprising:
a matrix material; and
a small scale functional material dispersed in the matrix material, where the small scale functional material includes particles having a cross-linked polymer domain with a volume mean diameter from about 5 nanometers (nm) to about 175 nm and an optically-active functional material responsive to an externally applied field dispersed throughout the particles.
18 . The composite material of claim 17 , where the optically-active functional material responds to the externally applied field independent of the polymeric matrix material.
19 . The composite material of claim 17 , where the optically-active functional material in the small scale function material has a state that changes when the externally applied field is applied to the matrix material.
20 . The composite material of claim 17 , where the small scale functional material is dispersed spatially with varying concentration in the matrix material to create a gradient of refractive indexes in the matrix material.
21 . (canceled)
22 . The composite material of claim 17 , where the composite material can form a film of one or more layers.
23 . The composite material of claim 17 , where the optically-active functional material maintains an essentially stable concentration in the cross-linked polymer domain when dispersed in the matrix material.
24 .- 26 . (canceled)