Electro-thermal antifog optical devices
View Patent ↗Devices including a coating layer formed of a transparent, conductive coating composition described. The coating layer may function as an active antifog coating for the prevention of water vapor condensation as droplets on a surface. The coating includes a conductive polymer and functionalized carbon nanostructures and may be crosslinked with a transition metal crosslinking agent. The composition may be coated on a surface used in a visualization application such as a face shield, glasses, safety glasses, goggles, oculars, etc., to prevent fogging on the surface.
1. An optical device comprising:
a transparent lens;
a conductive transparent layer on a surface of the transparent lens, the conductive transparent layer comprising a crosslinked network including a polythiophene, thiophene functionalized carbon based nanostructures, and a transition metal crosslinking agent; and
a power source in electrical communication with the conductive transparent layer.
2. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the polythiophene is poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene).
3. The optical device according to claim 1 , further comprising polystyrene sulfonic acid.
4. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the carbon based nanostructures are carbon nanotubes.
5. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the transition metal is selected from the group consisting of manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, silver, gold, platinum, palladium, and chromium.
6. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the transition metal crosslinking agent is a transition metal salt.
7. The optical device according to claim 6 , wherein the transition metal salt is a halide, chloride, sulfate, acetate, ammonium, or nitrate salt.
8. The optical device according to claim 1 , the conductive transparent layer further comprising a fluoropolymer or a siloxane polymer.
9. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical device is a pair of goggles or a pair of glasses.
10. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent lens is a glass lens or a polymeric lens.
11. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent lens is a corrective lens.
12. The optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the power source is a battery.
13. The optical device according to claim 12 , further comprising a cathode lead between the battery and the film and an anode lead between the battery and the conductive transparent layer.
14. The optical device according to claim 1 , further comprising a switch, the switch being capable of completing a circuit comprising the power source and the conductive transparent layer.
15. The optical device according to claim 1 , the lens comprising one or more additional layers.
16. A substrate defining a first surface and comprising a conductive transparent layer on the first surface, the conductive transparent layer comprising a crosslinked network including poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene), polystyrene sulfonic acid, thiophene derivatized carbon nanotubes, and a transition metal crosslinking agent.
17. The substrate according to claim 16 , wherein the substrate is transparent.
18. The substrate according to claim 16 , wherein the conductive transparent layer is in electrical communication with a power source.