Luminescent Quantum Dot Thiol-yne Nanocomposites With Tailorable Optical, …

Description (excerpt)

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a non-provisional of, and claims priority to and the benefits of, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/570,878 filed on Oct. 11, 2017, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/153,357 filed on Oct. 5, 2018, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/363,526 filed on Jun. 30, 2021, the entirety of each is hereby incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND This disclosure teaches the development of polymeric materials, made using thiol-yne chemistry, and having quantum dot nanoparticles incorporated into them to produce transparent, luminescent materials with tailorable mechanical, optical and thermal properties. These materials may be used as screens in device displays, and/or as materials used in additive manufacturing. Modern technology comprises numerous ubiquitous devices that utilize visual displays, including mobile phones, flat screen televisions and touch screen car panels. Despite using common, well-studied materials in those displays, there is an earnest search for materials that can improve such devices by using display materials that can simultaneously impart various characteristics such as flexibility, stretchability, durability, scratch resistance, transparency and shatterproof qualities to the display, and consequently to the device it is used in. There has also been a desire to find materials that have enhanced color characteristics in order to provide displays with brighter and more realistic visual output. Polymers fabricated via thiol-yne chemistry provide a route toward such multifunctional materials, while luminescent quantum dot (QD) nanoparticles can impart improved color properties. However, to date there have been no reports of combining polymers made using thiol-yne chemistry with QDs that would allow for their use in device displays. Our invention entails the synthesis of novel ligands (used to functionalize QDs), followed by the incorporation of QDs into a thiol-yne prepolymer matrix, and subsequent polymerization of the material (either by photopolymerization or by thermal curing) to produce luminescent QD thiol-yne nanocomposites. SUMMARY OF DISCLOSURE Description This disclosure teaches the development of polymeric materials, made using thiol-yne chemistry, and having quantum dot nanoparticles incorporated into them to produce transparent, luminescent materials with tailorable mechanical, optical and thermal properties. These materials may be used as screens in device displays, and/or as materials used in additive manufacturing. Our invention entails the synthesis of novel ligands (used to functionalize QDs), followed by the incorporation of QDs into a thiol-yne prepolymer matrix, and subsequent polymerization of the material (either by photopolymerization or by thermal curing) to produce luminescent QD thiol-yne nanocomposites. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following description and drawings set forth certain illustrative implementations of the disclosure in detail, which are indicative of several exemplary ways in which the various principles of the disclosure may be carried out. The illustrated examples, however, are not exhaustive of the many possible embodiments of the disclosure. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the disclosure will be set forth in the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings. FIG. 1 is an illustration of synthesis of DHLA-butyl and DHLA-alkyne ligands. (1) depicts carbonyldiimidazole, depicts butylamine upper reaction, depicts N-(2-aminoethyl)-5-hexynamide lower reaction, and depicts sodium borohydride prior to product. FIG. 2 is a graphic depicting the QDs before and after ligand functionalization. FIG. 3 illustrates the QD thiol-yne nanocomposite fabrication process. FIG. 4 is a photograph image of molded thiol-yne polymer containing red QDs in ambient conditions showing transparency (scale bar=1 cm) and a photogr