Preparation of high refractive index materials using ZrO₂ nanoparticles and Glyceryl-N-(2-methacryloyloxyethyl)urethane and Its properties

We established the metal-oxide nanoparticles dispersion technology using Glyceryl-N-(2-methacryloyloxyethyl) urethane (GLYMOU ® ) with high affinity for the inorganic materials, such as zirconia (ZrO₂), titania (TiO₂), and silica (SiO2). The high refractive index optical films were prepared by using ZrO₂nanoparticles (grain size: 3 nm) and GLYMOU ® . The films were colorless and transparent. As a ZrO₂ concentration increased up to 80 wt%, refractive index showed 1.70 at wavelength of 589 nm. Solid-state NMR and first density functional theory (DFT) study confirmed that GLYMOU ® was strongly coordinated to the ZrO₂ surfaces with hydroxyl groups and urethane bond. The dispersion state of nanoparticles in the hybrid films was investigated by combination of grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). GISAXS measurements and TEM observations, ZrO₂ nanoparticles were finely dispersed in the poly-GLYMOU ®matrices.