Preparation and properties of photocurable, high refractive, 2-naphthol epoxy-modified urethane acrylate

Abstract

The back light unit (BLU) is a core component of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) that are used in notebook computers, mobile phones, navigation devices, flat screen TVs, and public information display (PID) devices, among many others. To enhance the optical efficiency of LCDs, optical films with a high refractive index have been used in the BLU. In particular, high refractive chemicals have been the subject of recent investigations to enhance the optical efficiency of BLUs. In this study, we efficiently synthesized photocurable, high refractive 2-naphthol epoxy-modified urethane acrylate (2-NEUA) from 2-naphthol via a three-step reaction. The refractive index of 2-NEUA was higher than that of 2-naphthol epoxy acrylate (2-NEA), presumably because it contains more integrated aromatic rings and therefore has a higher electron density than 2-NEA. Furthermore, we critically evaluated the effects of 2-NEUA on the mechanical properties of UV curable films in this article.