Colorimetric sensors
First Claim
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1. A colorimetric sensor for measuring exposure to radiation or thermal energy, said colorimetric sensor comprising:
- a support substrate;
a reflective surface on said support substrate; and
a curable layer over said reflective surface, said curable layer comprising a functionalized polymer having pendant free-radically polymerizable groups, the functionalized polymer comprising the reaction product of (i) a polymer reactant having functional groups thereon, the functional group selected from a nucleophilic group or an electrophilic group and (ii) a bifunctional reactant comprising a reactive group capable of undergoing a nucleophilic/electrophilic reaction with the functional groups of the polymer reactant and at least one pendant free-radically polymerizable group;
wherein said sensor undergoes polymerization of said pendant free-radically polymerizable groups resulting in a change in one or more optical properties upon exposure to (i) a threshold amount of radiation or (ii) a threshold amount of thermal energy.
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Abstract
Colorimetric sensors comprising a reflective surface and a curable layer are disclosed. Devices comprising the colorimetric sensors and methods of making the sensors and devices are also disclosed. Methods of using the sensors and devices in numerous applications are also disclosed.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A colorimetric sensor for measuring exposure to radiation or thermal energy, said colorimetric sensor comprising:
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a support substrate; a reflective surface on said support substrate; and a curable layer over said reflective surface, said curable layer comprising a functionalized polymer having pendant free-radically polymerizable groups, the functionalized polymer comprising the reaction product of (i) a polymer reactant having functional groups thereon, the functional group selected from a nucleophilic group or an electrophilic group and (ii) a bifunctional reactant comprising a reactive group capable of undergoing a nucleophilic/electrophilic reaction with the functional groups of the polymer reactant and at least one pendant free-radically polymerizable group; wherein said sensor undergoes polymerization of said pendant free-radically polymerizable groups resulting in a change in one or more optical properties upon exposure to (i) a threshold amount of radiation or (ii) a threshold amount of thermal energy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20, 21, 23, 24)
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15. A method of measuring an amount of exposure of an article to radiation or thermal energy, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing an article; providing a colorimetric sensor having a first set of optical properties and comprising; a support substrate; a reflective surface on the support substrate; and a curable layer over the reflective surface, the curable layer comprising a functionalized polymer having pendant free-radically polymerizable groups, the functionalized polymer comprising the reaction product of (i) a polymer reactant having functional groups thereon, the functional group selected from a nucleophilic group or an electrophilic group and (ii) a bifunctional reactant comprising a reactive group capable of undergoing a nucleophilic/electrophilic reaction with the functional groups of the polymer reactant and at least one pendant free-radically polymerizable group; exposing the article and the sensor to a radiation or thermal energy source so as to (1) polymerize the pendant free-radically polymerizable groups and (2) produce a colorimetric sensor having a second set of optical properties, and comparing the second set of optical properties to the first set of optical properties. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method of tailoring a colorimetric sensor to exhibit a change in one or more optical properties upon exposure to a predetermined amount of radiation or thermal energy, said method comprising the steps of:
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choosing a specific amount of radiation or thermal energy; formulating a curable composition that (1) polymerizes a functionalized polymer having pendant free-radically polymerizable groups and (2) exhibits a change in one or more optical properties when (i) applied over a reflective surface at a curable layer thickness, and (ii) subsequently exposed to the specific amount of radiation or thermal energy; providing a support substrate having the reflective surface thereon; and applying the curable composition over the reflective surface so as to form a curable layer having the curable layer thickness, wherein the curable composition comprises the functionalized polymer having pendant free-radically polymerizable groups and the functionalized polymer comprises the reaction product of (i) a polymer reactant having functional groups thereon, the functional group selected from a nucleophilic group or an electrophilic group and (ii) a bifunctional reactant comprising a reactive group capable of undergoing a nucleophilic/electrophilic reaction with the functional groups of the polymer reactant and the at least one pendant free-radically polymerizable functional group. - View Dependent Claims (19, 22)
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Specification