Preparation and properties of high refractive index ZrO2 nano-hybrid materials

Abstract

In this study, a new synthetic route was developed to prepare ZrO2 nano-hybrid materials. Polymer matrix containing S and Br elements was prepared by means of thiol-epoxy click chemistry. Transparent high refractive index ZrO2 nano-hybrid materials were prepared by means of sol-gel preparation and segmental heat curing. The experimental results show: ZrO2 particles were successfully synthesized and homogeneously dispersed at the nanometer scale into the polymer matrix, the materials had high light transmittance (>85%) in the visible light region, high thermal stability and tunable refractive index (1.6494–1.7021) at 486 nm. Our study provides a new ideal for preparing high refractive index ZrO2 nano-hybrid materials for potential optical applications.