Photomechanical polymers, compositions, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12426494-B2
Application number	US-202318189461-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2023
Priority date	Mar 25, 2022
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

Photopolymers, monomers, compositions including photopolymers and a dopant, and methods, including methods for eliciting a photomechanical response. The dopant may be a triplet sensitizing dopant. The exposing of compositions to the one or more wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation may elicit a photomechanical response via a triplet excited state mechanism.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A composition comprising:
a photopolymer comprising at least one stilbene-based monomer, and
a dopant dispersed in the photopolymer;
wherein the dopant comprises a triplet excited state sensitizing dopant; and
wherein a mole ratio of the stilbene-based monomer to the dopant in the composition is about 1:0.01 to about 1:0.5.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the photopolymer is a polyimide photopolymer.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one stilbene-based monomer has the following structure when unpolymerized:

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the photopolymer has the following structure:

wherein n is 2 to 100,000.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the dopant comprises a quantum dot.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the dopant comprises an iridium(III) cyclometallated sensitizer.

7. The composition of claim 6 , wherein the dopant comprises bis[2-(4,6-difluorophenyl)pyridinato-C 2 ,N](picolinato)iridium(III).

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the dopant is substantially uniformly dispersed in the polymer.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the dopant is present in the composition at an amount of about 1 mol % to about 20 mol %, relative to the at least one stilbene-based monomer.

10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is in the form of a film.

11. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the film has a thickness of about 15 micrometers to about 40 micrometers.

12. A method of eliciting a photomechanical response, the method comprising:
providing the composition of claim 1 ; and
irradiating the composition with one or more wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation effective to elicit the photomechanical response of the composition.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the photomechanical response comprising a bending of the composition, a constriction of the composition, or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation comprise at least one wavelength within the visible spectrum.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the one or more wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation are from about 400 nm to about 450 nm.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the photomechanical response occurs via a triplet excited state mechanism.

17. A composition comprising:
a photopolymer, and
a dopant dispersed in the photopolymer;
wherein the photopolymer comprises a stilbene-based monomer, the stilbene-based monomer having the following structure when unpolymerized—

 and
wherein the dopant comprises an iridium(III) cyclometallated sensitizer.

18. The composition of claim 17 , wherein a mole ratio of the stilbene-based monomer to the dopant in the composition is about 1:0.01 to about 1:0.5.

19. The composition of claim 17 , wherein the composition is in the form of a film.

20. A compound of the following structure:

Assignees

• Univ Florida State Res Found Inc

Inventors

• Hanson Kenneth
• Oates William
• Beery Drake
• Stanisauskis Eugenia

Classifications

• H10K30/671

  Organic radiation-sensitive molecular electronic devices · CPC title

• C08G73/0672

  with only one nitrogen atom in the ring · CPC title

• H10K2101/10

  Triplet emission · CPC title

• H10K85/342

  comprising iridium · CPC title

• C08G73/1071

  Wholly aromatic polyimides containing oxygen in the form of ether bonds in the main chain · CPC title