Fabrication of high refractive index, infrared transmitting Organically Modified Chalcogenide (ORMOCHALC) polymers (Rising Researcher Presentation)

ORganically MOdified CHALCogenide (ORMOCHALC) polymers are novel materials that can be synthesized through the recently discovered inverse vulcanization process. Inverse vulcanization requires the heating of chalcogenide comonomers along with compounds that contain available pi electrons. The composition of the polymers presented includes the use of previously unexplored multi-vinyl branching agents, as well as polymer backbones that contain selenium. The crosslinking by unique comonomer species, and the use of selenium as a backbone component are significant in that they have a direct and pronounced effect on the optical properties of the polymers produced. Specific optical benefits of ORMOCHALC polymers include the extensive infrared transmission profile and the unusually high refractive indices these polymers possess. We present the synthesis and optical characterization of unique ORMOCHALC polymers.