High refractive index materials
View Patent ↗In some cases, fabricating a high refractive index polymer composite may include combining a thiol monomer and an ene monomer to yield a composite mixture, heating the composite mixture to yield a homogenous composite mixture, and curing the homogeneous composite mixture to yield a polymer composite, wherein the ene monomer comprises zirconium oxo (meth)acrylate clusters. The refractive index of the high refractive index polymer composite may be at least 1.70. In certain cases, fabricating a high reactive index polymer composite includes combining a vinyl (ene) monomer, a thiol monomer, and zirconium oxo (meth)acrylate clusters to yield a composite mixture, heating the composite mixture to yield a homogenous composite mixture, and curing the homogeneous composite mixture to yield a polymer composite. The refractive index of the high refractive index polymer composite may be at least 1.75.
1. A method of fabricating a high refractive index polymer composite, the method comprising:
combining a thiol monomer and an ene monomer to yield a composite mixture;
heating the composite mixture to yield a homogenous composite mixture; and
curing the homogeneous composite mixture to yield a polymer composite,
wherein the ene monomer comprises zirconium oxo (meth)acrylate clusters, and the zirconium oxo (meth)acrylate clusters provide 50 wt % to 100 wt % of the ene monomer in the composite mixture.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the zirconium oxo (meth)acrylate clusters comprise Zr 6 (OH) 4 O 4 (O 2 C(CH 3 )═CH 2 ) 12 , Zr 4 O 2 (O 2 C(CH 3 )═CH 2 ) 12 , Zr 6 (OH) 4 O 4 (O 2 CH═CH 2 ) 12 , Zr 4 O 2 (O 2 CH═CH 2 ) 12 , or a combination thereof.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thiol monomer comprises 1,2-ethanedithiol, 1,5-pentanedithiol, 1,3-benzenedithiol, or a combination thereof.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the refractive index of the polymer composite is at least 1.70.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the zirconium oxo (meth)acrylate clusters provide a majority of the ene monomers by wt % in the composite mixture.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the zirconium oxo (meth)acrylate clusters provide 75 wt % to 100 wt % of the ene monomer in the composite mixture.
7. A polymer composite formed by the method of claim 4 .
8. An optical element comprising the polymer composite of claim 7 .
9. The optical element of claim 8 , wherein the optical element comprises a lens.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the zirconium oxo (meth)acrylate clusters provide 90 wt % to 100 wt % of the ene monomer in the composite mixture.