Study on Dispersant and Surface Analysis of Ophthalmic Lens Materials Containing Carbon Nanotubes

In this study, two types of carbon nanotubes were used as ophthalmic material, and hydrogel contact lenses were polymerized by adding two types of dispersants to effectively exert the functions of carbon nanotubes. The physical properties and surfaces of the ophthalmic hydrogel lenses prepared to confirm the functionality as a dispersant were compared and analyzed to find the utility as an ophthalmic lens material. For the polymerization, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), single-walled carbon nanotubes carboxylic acid functionalized (SWCCNTs), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA, a crosslinking agent), and azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN, an initiator) was used. In addition, as a dispersant, PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone) and BYK-111 were copolymerized. As a result of this study, PVP increased the water content and decreased refractive index regardless of the type of carbon, whereas BYK-111 did not show a significant difference in basic properties. Also, PVP gradually decreased breaking strength, while BYK-111 gradually increased breaking strength. BYK-111 effectively exerted the function of carbon nanotubes, and it was confirmed whether it was dispersed through TEM. Therefore, if carbon nanotubes are used as ophthalmic materials by utilizing BYK-111, it considered to be used as functional ophthalmic lens materials.