Photochromic compositions and light transmissible articles

1. A photochromic compound which is an adduct comprising a photochromic moiety chemically linked to at least one pendent poly[di-(C 1 to C 10 hydrocarbyl) siloxane] oligomer.

2. A photochromic compound according to claim 1 in which the fade half life is reduced by at least 20% compared with the corresponding photochromic compound in absence of the oligomer.

3. A photochromic compound according to claim 2 wherein the fade half life is reduced by at least 40% compared with the corresponding photochromic compound without the oligomer.

4. A photochromic compound according to claim 1 wherein said compound is formed by reaction of a photochromic moiety, optionally comprising a linker group, with a preformed oligomer.

5. A photochromic compound according to claim 1 wherein said compound is formed by growth of an oligomer chain by living polymerization initiated on the photochromic moiety.

6. A photochromic compound comprising a photochromic moiety chemically linked to at least one poly[di-(C 1 to C 10 hydrocarbyl) siloxane]oligomer which comprises a combined number of di(C 1 to C 10 hydrocarbyl)siloxane monomer units of at least 5.

7. A photochromic compound according to claim 6 having the formula I:

(PC)-(L(R) n ) m   I

wherein

PC is a photochromic moiety

L is a bond or linking group;

R is an oligomer chain;

n is an integer from 1 to 3;

m is an integer from 1 to 3; and

R is an oligomer comprising a poly[di-(C 1 to C 10 hydrocarbyl) siloxane]

wherein the total number of polydi(C 1 to C 10 hydrocarbyl)siloxane monomer units in the oligomer R is at least 5.

8. A photochromic compound according to claim 7 wherein the linking group L and oligomer R provide a longest chain length of at least 12 atoms.

9. A photochromic compound according to claim 7 wherein the longest chain length is at least 15 atoms.

10. A compound according to claim 7 wherein the photochromic moiety (PC) is selected from the group consisting of chromenes, spiropyrans, spiro-oxazines, fulgides, fulgimides, anils, perimidinespirocyclohexadienones, stilbenes, thioindigoids, azo dyes and diarylethenes.

11. A photochromic compound according to claim 7 wherein the photochromic moiety (PC) is selected from the group consisting of naphthopyrans, benzopyrans, indenonaphthopyrans, phenanthropyrans, spiro(benzindoline) naphthopyrans, spiro(indoline)benzopyrans, spiro(indoline) naphthopyrans, spiroquinopyrans, spiro(indoline)pyrans, spiro(indoline)-naphthoxazines, spiro(indoline)pyridobenzoxazines, spiro(benzindoline)pyrido-benzoxazines, spiro(benzindoline)naphthoxazines, spiro(indoline)benzoxazines, fulgides and fulgimides.

12. A photochromic compound according to claim 7 wherein R is an oligomer selected from the group consisting of polydialkylsiloxane oligomers.

13. A photochromic compound according to claim 7 wherein R is a poly[di-(C 1 to C 4 alkyl) siloxane]oligomer.

14. A photochromic compound according to claim 7 wherein R comprises a group of formula I(a)

—(X) p (R 1 ) q —R 2

wherein:

X is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, sulfur, amino, C 1 and C 6 alkyl amino, and C 1 to C 4 alkylene;

p is 0 or 1;

q is the number of the monomer units; q is at least 5;

R 1 is di-(C 1 to C 10 hydrocarbyl) siloxane; and

R 2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 to C 6 alkyl, C 1 to C 6 haloalkyl, hydroxy, optionally substituted amino, optionally substituted alkyl carboxylic acid, optionally substituted aryl carboxylic acid and derivatives thereof.

15. A photochromic compound according to claim 7 wherein the oligomer R is selected from the group consisting of formula v and vi;

wherein X is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, sulfur, amino and alkylene;

R 2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 to C 6 alkyl, C 1 to C 6 haloalkyl, hydroxyl, optionally substituted amino, optionally substituted alkyl carboxylic acid, optionally substituted aryl carboxylic acid and derivatives thereof p is 0 or 1;

x is at least 7 and ø is alkyl or aryl and includes at least a portion of aryl groups.

16. A photochromic compound according to claim 7 wherein the oligomer R is linked to the photochromic moiety (PC) by a linker group of at least one of the formulae selected from IIa to IIk:

wherein in the formula IIa to IIk:

X which may be the same or different is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, sulphur, amino and alkylene;

R 4 is selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, alkoxy, amino and substituted amino;

n is an integer from to to 3;

w is an integer from 1 to 4;

q is an integer from 0 to 15;

p which when there is more than one may be the same or different is 0 or 1; and

(R) shows the radial for attachment of oligomer R.

17. A photochromic compound according to claim 7 wherein the photochromic moiety (PC) is selected from the group consisting of chromenes, spirooxazines, fulgides; fulgimides, azo dyes and diarylethenes.

18. A photochromic compound according to claim 7 wherein the photochromic moiety (PC) is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) spiro-oxazines of formula III

in the general formula III, R 3 , R 4 and R 5 may be the same or different and are each selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, a cycloarylalkyl group, an alkoxy group, an alklyleneoxyalkyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, a cyano, an alkoxycarbonylalkyl group, an aryl group, an arylalkyl group, an aryloxy group, an alkylenethioalkyl group, an acyl group, an acyloxy group and an amino group, R 4 and R 5 may together form a ring, and R 3 , R 4 and R 5 may optionally each have a substituent(s); and the group represented by moiety IIIa

is a substituted or unsubstituted bivalent aromatic hydrocarbon group or a substituted or unsubstituted bivalentunsaturated heterocyclic group and the group represented by moiety IIIb:

is a substituted or unsubstituted bivalent aromatic hydrocarbon group or a substituted or unsubstituted bivalent unsaturated heterocyclic group;

(b) chromenes of formula XX

wherein

B and B′ are independently selected from optionally substituted aryl and heteroaryl; and

R 22 , R 23 and R 24 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen; halogen; C 1 to C 3 alkyl; the group L(R) n ; and the group of formula COW wherein W is OR 25 , NR 26 R 27 , piperidino or morpholino wherein R 25 is selected from the group consisting of C 1 to C 6 alkyl, phenyl, (C 1 to C 6 alkyl)phenyl, C 1 to C 6 alkoxyphenyl, phenyl C 1 to C 6 alkyl [(C 1 to C 6 alkoxy)phenyl], C 1 to C 6 alkoxy C 2 to C 4 alkyl and the group L(R) n ; R 26 and R 27 are each selected from the group consisting of C 1 to C 6 alkyl, C 5 to C 7 cycloalkyl, phenyl, phenyl substituted with one or two groups selected from C 1 to C 6 alkyl and C 1 to C 6 alkoxy and the group L(R) n ; R 22 and R 23 may optionally form a carboxylic ring of 5 or 6 ring members optionally fused with an optionally substituted benzene and wherein at least one of the substituents is selected from the group of substituents consisting of B and B′, R 22 , R 23 , R 24 , R 25 , R 26 and R 27 is the group L(R) n ;

(c) fulgides and fulgimides of formula XXX:

wherein

Q is selected from the group consisting of optionally substituted aromatic, optionally substituted heteroaromatic; where said aromatic/heteroaromatic may be mono or polycyclic aromatic/heteroaromatic;

R 30 is selected from the group consisting of a C 1 to C 4 alkyl, C 1 to C 4 alkoxy phenyl, phenoxy mono- and di(C 1 -C 4 ) alkyl substituted phenyl or phen(C 1 to C 4 ) alkyl;

A′ is selected from the group consisting of oxygen or ═N—R 36 , in which R 36 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl or optionally substituted phenyl,

R 34 and R 35 independently represents a C 1 to C 4 alkyl, phenyl or phen(C 1 to C 4 ) alkyl or one of and R 34 , R 35 is hydrogen and the other is one of the aforementioned groups selected from C 1 to C 4 alkyl, phenyl or phen(C 1 to C 4 ) alkyl, or R 34 R 35 =represents an adamantylidine group; and

wherein at least one of Q, R 30 , R 34 , R 35 and R 36 comprises the group L(R) n ; and

(d) azo dyes of formula XL

wherein:

R 40 and R 41 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen; C 1 to C 6 alkyl; C 1 to C 6 alkoxy; —NR 42 R 43 wherein R 42 and R 43 are as defined for R 26 and R 27 ; aryl, aryl substituted with one or more substituents selected from C 1 to C 6 alkyl and C 1 to C 6 alkoxy, substituted C 1 to C 6 alkyl wherein the substituent is selected from aryl and C 1 to C 6 alkoxy, substituted C 1 to C 6 alkoxy wherein the substituent is selected from C 1 to C 6 alkoxy, aryl and aryloxy.

19. A photochromic article comprising a photochromic compound of claim 6 .

20. A photochromic article according to claim 19 selected from optical lenses, face shields, goggles, visors, camera lenses, windows, automotive windshields, aircraft and automotive transparencies, plastic films and sheets, textiles and coatings, and inks.

21. A method of preparing a photochromic compound comprising reacting a photochromic moiety with an oligomer to provide a photochromic compound which is an adduct comprising a photochromic moiety chemically linked to at least one pendent poly[di-(C 1 to C 10 hydrocarbyl) siloxane]oligomer.

22. A compound according to claim 7 of formula:

(PC)-(L(R) n ) m

wherein PC is a photochromic moiety selected from the group consisting of chromenes, spiropyrans and spirooxazines and the group (L(R) n ) m is polydimethyl siloxane propyl ethoxy succinyl.