Abstract
Hydrophilic contact lens was prepared by dispersing MXene material in a hydrogel mixture, and the purpose of this study was to evaluate its properties as an ophthalmic material. The MXene used in the experiment was manufactured through an etching process using titanium aluminum carbide 312 [Ti3AlC2] and hydrofluoric acid [HF]. For the preparation of hydrophilic contact lenses, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate [HEMA], a photoinitiator 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone [2H2M], and a cross-linker Ethylene glycol dimethacrylate [EGDMA] were used, and UV-rays was irradiated for 50 seconds for photopolymerization. Optical transmittance, refractive index, water content, contact angle, electromagnetic wave shielding ability, and photo-thermal conversion effect were measured to evaluate the physical properties of the manufactured contact lens. Compared to MXene materials, MXene mixed with Dimethyl sulfoxide [DMSO] had superior dispersion ability in organic solvents, and the transparency of the prepared hydrophilic contact lenses was high. MXene did not significantly affect the refractive index and water content, and improved the wettability of the contact lens. In addition, the MXene material used as an additive showed electromagnetic wave shielding ability and photo-thermal conversion effect based on its excellent electrical conductivity. It is judged that the mixture using MXene as an additive can be used as a functional contact lens material for electromagnetic wave shielding and ocular photo-thermal therapy.