Microstructured film comprising nanoparticles and monomer comprising alkylene oxide repeat units

Abstract

Presently described are microstructured films, such as brightness enhancing films, having a microstructured surface. The microstructured surface comprises the reaction product of a polymerizable composition comprising at least 20 wt-% of inorganic nanoparticles and a non-aromatic multi-(meth)acrylate monomer comprising at least three contiguous alkylene oxide repeat units. The multi-(meth)acrylate monomer typically comprises two or three (meth)acrylate groups. The alkylene oxide repeat units have the formula —[O-L]- wherein each L is independently a C 2 -C 6 alkylene. Also described is a polymerizable resin composition comprising at least 20 wt-% of inorganic nanoparticles having a refractive index of at least 1.68 and a non-aromatic multi-(meth)acrylate monomer comprising at least three contiguous alkylene oxide repeat units.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A brightness enhancing film having a microstructured surface comprising a plurality of prisms, wherein the microstructured surface comprises the reaction product of a polymerizable composition comprising at least 20 wt-% of inorganic nanoparticles having a refractive index of at least 1.68 and a non-aromatic multi-(meth)acrylate monomer comprising at least three contiguous alkylene oxide repeat units. 
     
     
         2 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 1  wherein the multi-(meth)acrylate monomer comprises two or three (meth)acrylate groups. 
     
     
         3 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 1  wherein the alkylene oxide repeat units have the formula —[O-L]- wherein each L is independently a C 2 -C 6  alkylene. 
     
     
         4 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 1  wherein the multi-(meth)acrylate monomer is a di(meth)acrylate comprising at least 5 contiguous alkylene oxide repeat units. 
     
     
         5 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 1  wherein the multi-(meth)acrylate monomer is a tri(meth)acrylate comprising a total of at least 10 alkylene oxide repeat units. 
     
     
         6 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 1  wherein the multi-(meth)acrylate monomer has the general formula: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein R1 is H or methyl, R2 is a trivalent organic residue, L is independently a C 2  to C 6  alkylene, and n is 3 to 30. 
       
     
     
         7 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 1  wherein the alkylene oxide repeat units comprise ethylene oxide repeat units, propylene oxide repeat units, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 1  wherein the polymerizable composition comprises 3 to 75 wt-% of the multi-(meth)acrylate monomer comprising alkylene oxide repeat units. 
     
     
         9 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 1  wherein the polymerizable composition further comprises a crosslinker comprising at least three (meth)acrylate groups, a mono(meth)acrylate diluent, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 9  wherein the crosslinker has a molecular weight per (meth)acrylate group of no greater than 150 g/mole. 
     
     
         11 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 9  wherein the crosslinker comprises trimethylol propane (meth)acrylate, ethoxylated (3) trimethylol propane (meth)acrylate, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 1  wherein the crosslinker concentration is no greater than about 25 wt-% of the polymerizable composition. 
     
     
         13 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 1  wherein the polymerizable composition comprises at least 5 or 10 wt-% crosslinker. 
     
     
         14 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 1  wherein the polymerizable composition polymerizable composition is free of crosslinker. 
     
     
         15 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 9  wherein the mono(meth)acrylate diluent has a refractive index of at least 1.55. 
     
     
         16 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 9  wherein the mono(meth)acrylate diluent is a biphenyl or benzyl monomer. 
     
     
         17 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 16  wherein the biphenyl monomer has the general formula: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein R1 is H or CH 3 ;
 X is O or S; 
 Q is selected from —(C(CH 3 ) 2 —, —CH 2 , —C(O)—, —S(O)—, and —S(O) 2 —; 
 n ranges from 0 to 10 (e.g. n is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10); and 
 L is an alkylene group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, optionally substituted with hydroxy. 
 
       
     
     
         18 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 16  wherein the benzyl monomer has the general formula: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein at least one R1 comprises an aromatic substituent, 
         t is an integer from 1 to 4; and 
         R2 is hydrogen or methyl. 
       
     
     
         19 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 1  wherein the amount of inorganic nanoparticles ranges from 40 wt-% to 60 wt-% of the polymerizable composition. 
     
     
         20 . The brightness enhancing film of  claim 1  wherein the inorganic nanoparticles comprise zirconia.