I-Corps: Enhanced Radiation Curing From Plant Derived Materials

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发可用于光固化系统的环保化合物。光固化是一种紫外线（UV）交联技术，用于增加材料的硬度，包括半导体树脂、汽车涂层材料配方和眼科镜片。该技术可通过其高效和可调的化合物生产为许多行业定制。该技术具有优于当前方法的优势，因为它具有以下特点：a）节省成本和时间; B）制造期间更好的安全性; c）高性能标准; d）可持续的生物基系统;和e）适合作为当前配制过程的替代品。I-Corps项目基于生物质的开发，衍生的UV和可见光活性化合物，可用于有效的辐射固化以生产高性能材料。鲜艳的颜色在各种化学和生物过程中起着至关重要的作用。将这些颜色转化为固化技术是具有挑战性的，因为它需要合理地操纵光化学性质。这项技术转化了植物基化合物，可以进行微调，以更高的效率利用紫外线和可见光进行辐射固化。目前采用的UV固化体系通常遭受表面粘性、表面残留物、迁移（在材料表面和进入空气中）、制剂的高光引发剂负载、固化体系的着色、用发光二极管（LED）和/或可见光的低效表面固化、固化深度的限制和环境问题。这些植物基化合物比具有类似发色团的传统化合物具有上级的光化学、物理和固化性能。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of eco-friendly compounds that can be used in photocuring systems. Photocuring is a ultraviolet (UV)-crosslinking technique to add firmness to materials including resins for semiconductors, material formulations for automotive coatings, and ophthalmic lenses. This technology is customizable for many industries through its efficient and tunable compound production. The technology has advantages over current methodologies as it features: a) cost and time savings; b) better safety during manufacturing; c) high performance standards; d) sustainable biobased systems; and e) suitablility as a substitute for current formulation processes.This I-Corps project is based on the development of biomass-derived UV and visible light active compounds that can be employed for efficient radiation curing to produce high performance materials. Vibrant colors play a critical role in various chemical and biological processes. Translating these colors to curing technology is challenging as it requires rational manipulation of photochemical properties. This technology translates plant-based compounds that can be fine-tuned for radiation curing with both UV and visible light with a higher efficiency. Currently employed UV cure systems often suffers from surface tack, surface residue, migration (both at the surface of the material and into the air), high photoinitiator loading for formulations, coloring of the cured system, inefficient surface cure with light emitting diodes (LEDs) and/or visible light, limitations on cure depth, and environmental concerns. These plant-based compounds have superior photochemical, photophysical and curing properties than the conventional compounds featuring similar chromophores.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.