This work presents comparative research of characteristics of a basic and new
nanophotonic material, the latter of which was obtained by incorporation
fullerene, C60, in the base material for soft contact lenses. The basic
(SL38) and nanophotonic materials (SL38-A) for soft contact lenses were
obtained by radical polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and
2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and fullerene, which were derived by the
technology in the production lab of the company Soleko (Milan, Italy). The
materials were used for production of soft contact lenses in the company
Optix (Belgrade, Serbia) for the purposes of this research. Fullerene was
used due to its apsorption transmission characteristics in ultraviolet,
visible and near infrared spectrum. For the purposes of material
characterization for potential application as soft contact lenses, network
parameters were calculated and SEM analysis of the materials was performed
while the optical properties of the soft contact lenses were measured by a
Rotlex device. The values of the diffusion exponent, n, close to 0.5
indicated Fick's kinetics corresponding to diffusion. The investigated
hydrogels could be classified as nonporous hydrogels. With Rotlex device,
values of optical power and map of defects were showed. The obtained values
of optical power and map of defects showed that the optical power of
synthesized nanophotonic soft contact lens is identical to the nominal value
while this was not the case for the basic lens. Also, the quality of the
nanophotonic soft contact lens is better than the basic soft contact lens.
Hence, it is possible to synthesize new nanophotonic soft contact lenses of
desired optical characteristics, implying possibilities for their application
in this field.
Characterization of nanophotonic soft contact lenses based on poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and fullerene