Polarizing Group Attached Acrylates and Polymers Viewing High Refractive Index

We designed and successfully synthesized UV curable, functional acrylate monomers having a polarizing group, i.e., an electron-withdrawing and/or electron-donating group for the optical materials of high refractive index. Optical polymer films made from the functional methacrylate monomers were achieved with photo crosslinking under UV illumination. A monomer having amino and cyano groups (Dimer-CN) exhibited the highest refractive index ($n_{TE}$=1.595 at 850nm) among the studied methacrylate derivatives, due to the large polarizability of the dipolar monomer structures with electron-donating and withdrawing groups. By controlling the compositions of the functional acrylate monomer of copolymers, the refractive indices of the polymers were readily adjusted within a wide range of 1.498-1.595. The copolymers showed a high glass transition temperature $(T_g)$ and good thermal stability, which are desirable for optical applications. $T_g$ and $T_{10%}$ (10%-weight loss occurred) of the copolymers ranged from $120-140^{\circ}C$ and from $329-387^{\circ}C$, respectively.