Acrylamide‐Based Aramid‐Reinforced Soft Contact Lenses

Abstract

In this study, manufacturing of acrylamide‐based soft contact lenses is attempted with high elastic modulus, tensile strength, water content, and oxygen transmissibility. For this purpose, colorless and transparent aramids are prepared using diamine monomers with strong electron‐withdrawing groups such as CF3 and sulfone groups. These aramids are used as reinforcing agents. These compounds are not only thermally and thermodynamically stable but also colorless, transparent, and mechanically very robust. They are very soluble in N,N‐dimethylacrylamide. Subsequently, reactive liquid resins are prepared simply by dissolving aramids in N,N‐dimethylacrylamide, and lenses are manufactured by the bulk polymerization of the liquid resins to which an appropriate amount of a crosslinking agent is added. Mechanically enhanced soft contact lenses are thus easily produced by the conventional manufacturing method. Some of the synthesized lenses maintain their original shape without phase separation even after hydration. These lenses have remarkably higher elastic modulus (up to 8.13 MPa) and tensile strength (up to 1.62 MPa) than the conventional lenses made of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). The synthesized lenses also have a high water content (up to 83.0%) and oxygen transmissibility (up to 26.8 Dk t−1).