Enhancing the Refractive Index of Polymers with a Plant-Based Pigment
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Date
2021-11-04
Publication Type
Journal Article
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yes
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Abstract
Polymers are essential components of many nanostructured materials. However, the refractive indices of common polymers fall in a relatively narrow range between 1.4 and 1.6. Here, it is demonstrated that loading commercially-available polymers with large concentrations of a plant-based pigment can effectively enhance their refractive index. For polystyrene (PS) loaded with 67 w/w% beta-carotene (BC), a peak value of 2.2 near the absorption edge at 531 nm is achieved, while maintaining values above 1.75 across longer wavelengths of the visible spectrum. Despite high pigment loadings, this blend maintains the thermoforming ability of PS, and BC remains molecularly dispersed. Similar results are demonstrated for the plant-derived polymer ethyl cellulose (EC). Since the refractive index enhancement is intimately connected to the introduction of strong absorption, it is best suited to applications where light travels short distances through the material, such as reflectors and nanophotonic systems. Enhanced reflectance from films is experimentally demonstrated, as large as sevenfold for EC at selected wavelengths. Theoretical calculations highlight that this simple strategy can significantly increase light scattering by nanoparticles and enhance the performance of Bragg reflectors.
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published
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Journal / series
Volume
17 (44)
Pages / Article No.
2103061
Publisher
Wiley
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Date collected
Date created
Subject
high refractive index; plant-based products; polymers; structural color
Organisational unit
09573 - Dufresne, Eric (ehemalig) / Dufresne, Eric (former)