Chen, G. R.; Yang, X. Z.; You, J. S.; Lan, J. B. Synthesis and characterization of benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene-based high-refractive-index polyacrylates and polycarbonates. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3864-6
Guo-Rong Chen, Xiao-Zhong Yang, Jing-Song You, et al. Synthesis and Characterization of Benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene-based High-refractive-index Polyacrylates and Polycarbonates[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 441-7. DOI: 10.1007/s10118-026-3864-6.
Chen, G. R.; Yang, X. Z.; You, J. S.; Lan, J. B. Synthesis and characterization of benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene-based high-refractive-index polyacrylates and polycarbonates. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-026-3864-6DOI:
Guo-Rong Chen, Xiao-Zhong Yang, Jing-Song You, et al. Synthesis and Characterization of Benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene-based High-refractive-index Polyacrylates and Polycarbonates[J/OL]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 441-7. DOI: 10.1007/s10118-026-3864-6.DOI:
Synthesis and Characterization of Benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene-based High-refractive-index Polyacrylates and Polycarbonates
Driven by the demand for miniaturized monolithic optoelectronic integration
high-refractive-index polymers (HRIPs) with superior thermal and optical characteristics remain a central research priority. Despite its compact
sulfur-rich fused-ring framework
benzothieno[3
2-
b
]
benzothiophene (BTBT) has yet to be exploited as a building block for HRIPs. This study integrates the BTBT unit into two distinct polymer architectures. In the first approach
a pendant-BTBT acrylate monomer (
BPN3A
) was copolymerized with methyl acrylate
via
free-radical polymerization
yielding a series of polyacrylates (
Poly 1–Poly 5
). Their refractive indices (
n
D
) increased linearly from 1.519 to 1.707 as
BPN3A
content rose
with the homopolymer
n
D
value extrapolated to 1.741.
Poly 1–Poly 5
displayed high thermal stability with decomposition temperatures (
T
d
5%
) ranging from 325 °C to 359 °C and glass transition temperatures (
T
g
) up to 93 °C.
Poly 1
retained an Abbe number of 11.6 while maintaining transmittance exceeding 90% at 470 nm. In the second approach
a BTBT-based diol monomer (
2
9-BE
) was incorporated into polycarbonate backbone through melt polycondensation
affording
Poly 7
which exhibited an
n
D
of 1.665 and transmittance approaching 80% at 400 nm with an Abbe number of 13.9.
Poly 7
maint
ained moderate thermal stability with a
T
d
5%
of 306 °C and a
T
g
of 89 °C. Incorporating the sulfur-rich
highly polarizable BTBT unit as either a pendant substituent or a backbone component therefore provides a viable molecular design strategy for HRIPs.
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