POS1-0547
Sulfur-Containing Cardo Structures for High Refractive Index, Low Birefringence Polymers
Topic
S1. Polymer Synthesis
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Hae Jung SON
Boseok KANG
Presenter(s)
RYU Minju (KYUNG HEE UNIVERSITY)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
As optical devices continue to become smaller and more highly integrated, there is an increasing demand for next-generation thermoplastic polymers that simultaneously exhibit a high refractive index, transparency, and low birefringence. While incorporating aromatic rings is a common strategy for increasing refractive index of optical polymers, such motifs, due to their anisotropic structure, often result in increased birefringence. Employment of cardo structures, wherein aromatic pendant groups are attached to quaternary centers of the polymer backbone, is one of the most widely utilized strategies to minimize the optical anisotropy. Herein, we report the design of a modular cardo structure where sulfur-containing aromatic groups are utilized. The structure could be readily incorporated into multiple polymer structures through multiple different polymerization methods. By combining the high molar refraction of sulfur-containing aromatics with the sterically constrained cardo geometry, the resulting polymers exhibit a balanced optical profile, including enhanced refractive index, high optical transparency, and suppressed birefringence. These results establish sulfur-containing cardo motifs as a versatile molecular design platform for high-index, optically isotropic thermoplastic polymers for advanced optical applications.
