I-Corps: Dynamic Resins for High-Performance Polymeric Lenses

该I-Corps项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力将导致更高性能的聚合物光子材料（与光相互作用的塑料），其将在计算机，手机，照明单元，电信，相机和传感器等消费设备中具有广泛的应用。 聚合物光子材料由于其重量轻、耐冲击性高以及能够制造成独特的形状/架构而在设备中得到越来越多的应用，然而，与其更重、更昂贵的玻璃对应物相比，其光学性能微不足道。 该材料结合了聚合物光学材料的现有优点，同时在不大幅增加价格的情况下提供更高的性能。I-Corps项目将开发高光学质量的交联聚合物网络，该网络具有独特的重塑、重塑和重新利用能力，当放置在正确的条件下时，不会损失机械完整性或光学性能。 聚合物光学元件（透镜、波导等）然而，缺陷和双折射（与光负相互作用的应力）阻碍了聚合物用于需要高光学质量材料的应用。 这种专有技术允许化学键的微观混乱发生在聚合物材料中，只有当它被放置在某些条件下，有效地退火了上述缺陷和双折射的聚合物，给出高光学质量的材料。 目前的研究重点是将这种动态平台置于商业相关的树脂中，以制造坚韧，坚固，光学透明的高性能材料。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project will result in higher performing polymeric photonic materials (plastics which interact with light) which will have extensive application in consumer devices such as computers, cell phones, lighting units, telecommunications, cameras, and sensors. Polymeric photonic materials are finding evermore application in devices due to their low weight, high-impact resistance, and ability to be fabricated into unique shapes/architectures, however, have paltry optical performance when compared to their heavier, costlier glass counterparts. The material developed here combines the existing positive attributes of polymeric optical materials while offering significantly higher performance without large increases in price.This I-Corps project will develop high optical quality crosslinked polymer networks with the unique ability to be remolded, reshaped, and repurposed when placed under the correct conditions without loss of mechanical integrity or optical properties. Polymeric optical components (lenses, waveguides, etc.) are desirable over fragile and heavy glass counterparts, however, defects and birefringence (stresses which negatively interact with light) prevent polymers from being used for applications requiring high optical quality materials. This proprietary technology allows for microscopic scrambling of chemical bonds to occur in the polymeric materials only when it is placed under certain conditions, effectively annealing out the aforementioned defects and birefringence in the polymer, giving high optical quality materials. Current research is focused on taking this dynamic platform and placing it into commercially relevant resins that fabricate tough, robust, optically clear, high performance materials.