Chalcogenide-Based Hybrid Polymers with High Refractive Index for IR Thermal Imaging

非技术总结：该合作项目旨在制备一种新型聚合物材料，该材料来源于硫基或硒基原料。这些材料将提供先进的新型聚合物，具有特殊的光学和热机械性能，可用于热成像的透镜，窗口或其他设备组件。在中红外范围内。红外（IR）光学器件广泛用于光通信，以及需要在纯黑暗条件下进行高分辨率成像的国防应用。美国国家科学基金会对该项目的支持将使人们能够深入了解控制这些材料的性能（光学、机械、热）所需的关键参数，这些参数对红外成像应用至关重要。预计该项目的进展将使目前使用的无机材料无法实现的新红外设备和应用的创建成为可能。基础科学研究与前沿红外技术问题的紧密结合将作为一个更广泛的框架来培训从事该项目的学生，并通过教育推广活动向K-12学生展示聚合物科学的各个方面。技术概述：这个跨学科合作小组将研究开发一种新型的硫族化合物基共聚物，这种共聚物具有非常高的折射率（可见光和红外光谱中的n大于2.0）和高红外透明度，从而提供一种用于中红外热成像的新型光学聚合物。红外（IR）光学技术广泛用于光通信以及需要在纯黑暗条件下进行高分辨率成像的军事和国防应用。目前，合成聚合物不能用作中红外成像应用的传输材料，如透镜或其他器件组件，因为这些材料在热成像所需的光谱窗口（3-5微米）内强烈吸收红外辐射。在提议的研究中，pi将研究熔融单质硫（S8）与其他硫系共聚单体的共聚，以增加这些材料的折射率。相反，硫系单体与三乙烯或卤代苯乙烯共聚物的共聚也将进行，以降低这些共聚物中的C-H含量，并最终提高所得光学材料在3-5微米中红外区域的红外透明度。

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: This collaborative project project aims to prepare a novel class of polymeric materials that are derived from sulfur or selenium-based feedstocks. These materials will afford advanced new polymers with special optical and thermomechanical properties that can be used as lenses, windows, or other device components for thermal imaging. in the mid-infrared range. Infrared (IR) optical devices are widely used in optical communications, as well as in defense applications that require high-resolution imaging under conditions of pure darkness. NSF support of this project will enable fundamental insights into the key parameters required to control the properties (optical, mechanical, thermal) of these materials that will be essential for use in IR imaging applications. The advances from the project are anticipated to enable the creation of new IR devices and applications that are inaccessible with the inorganic materials that are currently used. The close integration of fundamental scientific research with cutting-edge IR technological problems will serve as a broader framework to train the students working on the project and expose K-12 students to aspects of polymer science through educational outreach activities. TECHNICAL SUMMARY:This collaborative interdisciplinary group will investigate the development of a new class of chalcogenide-based copolymers with very high refractive index (n greater than 2.0 in the visible and IR spectrum) and high IR transparency so as to afford a new class of optical polymers for use in mid-IR thermal imaging. Infrared (IR) optical technology is widely used in optical communications as well as in military and defense applications that require high-resolution imaging under conditions of pure darkness. Currently, synthetic polymers cannot be used as transmitting materials for mid-IR imaging applications as lenses or other device components since these materials strongly absorb IR radiation in the spectral window (3-5 micrometers) required for thermal imaging. In the proposed research, the PIs will investigate the copolymerizations of molten elemental sulfur (S8) together with other chalcogenide comonomers to increase the refractive index of these materials. Conversely, copolymerization of chalcogenide monomers with trivinylic or halogenated styrenic comonomers will also be conducted to lower the C-H content in these copolymers and ultimately increase the IR transparency of the resulting optical materials in the 3-5 micrometer mid-IR regime.