Novel polymer encapsulation for deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes

Reference Number:1624

Background

Ultraviolet light has many existing uses and markets currently using a variety of light sources including mercury vapour lamps and lasers. With major recent progress in ultraviolet LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) helping to extend markets, the introduction of this family of polymers is timely. Existing polymer materials do not transmit ultraviolet light below 300nm in wavelength. There are many application and markets to which polymers transmitting light below 300nm will be valuable.

Technology

The series of polymers developed between Strathclyde Pure and Applied Chemistry and the Institute of Photonics are world beating and address the pain points of many other cutting edge emerging technologies including:

• Transmits light from ultraviolet, through visible to infrared wavelengths
• Can be tailored to give appropriate viscosity, hardness, refractive index etc
• Can be blended with colour converting materials for use in solid state lighting
• The materials surface can be functionalised with strands of single stranded DNA and detect the genotype of diseases
• The material has superior transmission in the Deep UV allowing the encapsulation of solid state sources

Key Benefits

• These new materials can adapt easily to any in house processing: thermal or photo cureable
• The materials allow superior transmission of all light from UV-near IR
• They are also suitable for the most novel processing including Ink Jet Printing and Direct Laser Writing

Markets and Applications

• Sterilisation (Water/ Air/ Surface/Blood)
• Encapsulation of organic display technology, OLEDs
• Non-line of sight communications
• Coatings

Licensing and Development

A patent application on the underlying enabling technology has been filed. Contact is welcomed from organisations or individuals interested in using, developing, licensing or exploiting this technology. The researchers are currently in the process of forming a business plan for a spin-out company.

For further information, please contact Research & Knowledge Exchange Services:
e: rkes@strath.ac.uk t: 0141 548 3707 f: 0141 552 4409

This project was supported by the Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept Programme. The Proof of Concept Fund supports the pre-commercialisation of leading-edge technologies emerging from Scotland’s universities, research institutes and NHS Trusts.