Development of Photocurable Resins Exhibiting a High Refractive Index and Low Abbe Number for Optical Applications

Transparent optical polymers are an emerging class of materials that are finding applications in lenses, prisms, and waveguides. For lens applications, polymers with a high refractive index and a low Abbe value are required. Herein, we present UV-curable compositions with optical properties competitive with those of industry-standard thermoplastics. We designed and synthesized a monomer (NTBA) consisting of a naphthyl ring and a benzyl acrylate unit connected by a sulfur atom. Using NTBA as an additive reduced the Abbe value of the cured product, resulting in a polymer with a refractive index of 1.628 and an Abbe number of 24.5, exhibiting excellent stability against heat and humidity. Further optimization of monomer compositions yielded a polymer with a refractive index of 1.673 and an Abbe number of 20.4. Our material design strategy enables next-generation fabrication processes for optical components, including wafer-level processes.