Direct introduction of elemental sulfur into polystyrene: A new method of preparing polymeric materials with both high refractive index and Abbe number

High refractive index polymers (HRIPs) have recently emerged as an important class of materials for use in a variety of optoelectronic devices including image sensors, lithography, and light-emitting diodes. However, achieving polymers having refractive index exceeding 1.8 while maintaining full transparency in the visible range still remains formidably challenging. Here, we present a unique one-step vapor-phase process, termed sulfur chemical vapor deposition, to generate highly stable, ultrahigh refractive index (n > 1.9) polymers directly from elemental sulfur. The deposition process involved vapor-phase radical polymerization between elemental sulfur and vinyl monomers to provide polymer films with controlled thickness and sulfur content, along with the refractive index as high as 1.91. Notably, the HRIP thin film showed unprecedented optical transparency throughout the visible range, attributed to the absence of long polysulfide segments within the polymer, which will serve as a key component in a wide range of optical devices.

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A new method for the preparation of styrax and balsam of tolu for use as microscopic mounting media of high refractive index

The Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association (1912) ◽

10.1002/jps.3080130507 ◽

1924 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 424-425

Author(s):

George H. Needham

Keyword(s):

Refractive Index ◽

High Refractive Index ◽

New Method

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Polythioamides of High Refractive Index by Direct Polymerization of Aliphatic Primary Diamines in the Presence of Elemental Sulfur

Macromolecules ◽

10.1021/acs.macromol.7b01788 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 50 (21) ◽

pp. 8505-8511 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Ziyang Sun ◽

Huahua Huang ◽

Le Li ◽

Lixin Liu ◽

Yongming Chen

Keyword(s):

Refractive Index ◽

Elemental Sulfur ◽

High Refractive Index

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Novel Nanocomposite Optical Plastics: Dispersion of Titanium in Polyacrylates

Journal of Nanotechnology ◽

10.1155/2010/531284 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 2010 ◽

pp. 1-5 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gunjan Suri ◽

Mukti Tyagi ◽

Geetha Seshadri ◽

Gurcharan Lal Verma ◽

Rakesh Kumar Khandal

Keyword(s):

Refractive Index ◽

Impact Resistance ◽

Polymeric Materials ◽

High Refractive Index ◽

Metal Compounds ◽

The Matrix ◽

In Situ Formation ◽

Optical Applications ◽

Free Material

Polyacrylates have become the preferred materials for optical applications replacing the conventionally used glass due to their superior optical clarity. The major disadvantage with polyacrylates is their low (1.40–1.50) refractive index besides their poor impact resistance. The improvements in refractive index as well as mechanical properties can be achieved by way of incorporation of metals or metal compounds in the matrix. A novel methodology for the incorporation of high refractive index metals into low refractive index polymeric materials to improve the refractive index and impact resistance of the latter has been developed. With the in-situ formation of nanoparticles ofTiO2, the refractive index of polyacrylates improved from 1.45 to 1.53 and the Abbe number increased from 40 to 57. One of the interesting dimension of this study pertains to the possibility of tailor-making of the two key optical properties of materials by way of varying the amount ofTiO2being formed in-situ. Thermal stability and impact resistance of nano dispersed (4.3% by wt. of Ti) polyacrylates are found to be better than the neat polyacrylates. Moreover,TiO2-containing polyacrylate is of light weight. TEM, SEM, and IR analysis confirms the in-situ formation of nanoparticles ofTiO2. Gamma irradiation has been used as an eco-friendly technique for polymerization. The developed compositions can be cast polymerized into clear and bubble free material for optical applications.

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A New Mounting Medium of High Refractive Index

Scientific American ◽

10.1038/scientificamerican02131886-8429csupp ◽

1886 ◽

Vol 21 (528supp) ◽

pp. 8429-8430

Keyword(s):

Refractive Index ◽

High Refractive Index

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Accelerated Discovery of High-Refractive-Index Polyimides via First-Principles Molecular Modeling, Virtual High-Throughput Screening, and Data Mining

10.26434/chemrxiv.7670903.v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Mohammad Atif Faiz Afzal ◽

Mojtaba Haghighatlari ◽

Sai Prasad Ganesh ◽

Chong Cheng ◽

Johannes Hachmann

Keyword(s):

Data Mining ◽

Refractive Index ◽

High Throughput ◽

First Principles ◽

High Throughput Screening ◽

Large Scale ◽

Computational Study ◽

High Refractive Index ◽

Structural Features ◽

Learning Program

<div>We present a high-throughput computational study to identify novel polyimides (PIs) with exceptional refractive index (RI) values for use as optic or optoelectronic materials. Our study utilizes an RI prediction protocol based on a combination of first-principles and data modeling developed in previous work, which we employ on a large-scale PI candidate library generated with the ChemLG code. We deploy the virtual screening software ChemHTPS to automate the assessment of this extensive pool of PI structures in order to determine the performance potential of each candidate. This rapid and efficient approach yields a number of highly promising leads compounds. Using the data mining and machine learning program package ChemML, we analyze the top candidates with respect to prevalent structural features and feature combinations that distinguish them from less promising ones. In particular, we explore the utility of various strategies that introduce highly polarizable moieties into the PI backbone to increase its RI yield. The derived insights provide a foundation for rational and targeted design that goes beyond traditional trial-and-error searches.</div>

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