Abstract: Described herein are compounds generally comprising an indeno[2?,3?:3,4]naptho[1,2-b]pyran structure. Such compounds may be useful for their photochromic properties, and be used in certain photochromic compositions. Such compositions may further comprise other photochromic compositions and/or materials. Additionally, such compounds and/or compositions may be suitable for preparing certain photochromic articles.

Abstract: The present invention relates to photochromic materials that include one or more indeno-fused naphthopyrans that have particular groups at the 7, 11, and 13 positions thereof, and at the position alpha to the oxygen of the pyran ring thereof. With some embodiments, hydrogen or an alkoxy group is bonded to the 7 position, an optionally substituted phenyl is bonded to the 11 position, two alkyl groups are bonded to the 13 position, and two optionally substituted phenyl groups are bonded to the position alpha to the oxygen of the pyran ring of the indeno-fused naphthopyran compound. The 13 position of the indeno-fused naphthopyrans is free of ether groups in which an ether oxygen is bonded to the 13 position, and hydroxyl. The present invention also relates to photochromic articles and compositions that include such indeno-fused naphthopyrans.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photochromic material which is an indeno-fused naphthopyran of structural formulas I or II, having a pi-conjugation extending group bonded to the 11-position of the indeno-fused naphthopyran, the pi-conjugation extending group having at least one pendent halo-substituted group bonded thereto. The pi-conjugation extending group extends the pi-conjugation system of said indeno-fused naphthopyran. The 13-position of the indeno-fused naphthopyran is substantially free of spiro-substituents. The invention further provides photochromic materials of specified structure, photochromic compositions, photochromic articles and optical elements that include the photochromic material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to indeno-fused naphthopyrans, and in particular indeno[2?,3?:3,4]naphtho[1,2-b]pyrans having certain groups bonded to the 3, 6, 7, 11, and 13 positions thereof. The indeno-fused naphthopyrans of the present invention have an ethylenically unsaturated group selected from (C1-C6 alkyl)acrylate and (C1-C6 alkyl)acrylamide, that is linked to the 11 position or 13 position thereof. The present invention also relates to photochromic articles and photochromic compositions containing such indeno-fused naphthopyrans.

Abstract: The present invention relates to photochromic compounds that include at least two photochromic moieties that are linked together by a multivalent linking group. The multivalent linking group can be selected so as to be flexible and/or substantially prevent electronic interaction between any two photochromic moieties through the multivalent linking group. The present invention also relates to photochromic compositions and articles that include at least a photochromic amount of one or more photochromic compounds of the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds represented by the following Formulas (I) and (II), Ring-A of Formulas I and II can be, for example, an aryl group, and Q? and Q?? can each be independently selected from groups, such as, halogen, —OH, —CN, amine groups, amide groups, carboxylic acid ester groups, carboxylic acid groups, alkenyl groups, alkynyl groups, carbonate groups, sulfide groups, and sulfonic acid ester groups. The present invention also relates to photochromic compositions and photochromic articles that include one or more photochromic compounds, such as represented by Formula II.

Abstract: Provided are photochromic articles including a substrate, a primer layer that includes a first photochromic compound, and a photochromic-dichroic layer over the primer layer that includes a photochromic-dichroic compound. The first photochromic compound and the photochromic-dichroic compound each are selected such that the photochromic-dichroic compound has an unactivated state terminal minimum absorbance wavelength that is less than or equal to the unactivated state terminal minimum absorbance of the underlying first photochromic compound. The present invention also relates to such photochromic articles that further include a topcoat layer over the photochromic-dichroic layer, the topcoat layer including a second photochromic compound that has an unactivated state terminal minimum absorbance wavelength that is less than the unactivated state terminal minimum absorbance wavelength of the underlying photochromic-dichroic compound.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photochromic material which is an indeno-fused naphthopyran having a pi-conjugation extending group bonded to the 11-position of the indeno-fused naphthopyran, the pi-conjugation extending group having at least one pendent halo-substituted group bonded thereto. The pi-conjugation extending group extends the pi-conjugation system of said indeno-fused naphthopyran. The 13-position of the indeno-fused naphthopyran is substantially free of spiro-substituents. The invention further provides photochromic materials of specified structure, photochromic compositions, photochromic articles and optical elements that include the photochromic material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to photochromic materials that include certain indeno-fused naphthopyrans. The indeno-fused naphthopyrans have an amino group (e.g., a piperidino or morpholino group) bonded to the 6-position and an optional halo group (e.g., fluoro) bonded to the 11-position thereof. The photochromic materials of the present invention may have a closed-form electromagnetic radiation absorption spectrum that is shifted to longer wavelengths (e.g., wavelengths of greater than 390 nm), relative to comparable photochromic materials. The present invention also relates to optical elements, such as eyeglasses, that include the photochromic materials of the present invention.

Abstract: A photochromic coating exhibiting improved performance and photochromic lenses made using the coating. The coating has excellent photochromic darkening and fatigue properties. The coating formulation is made from a monomer blend having at least two different types of monomers. A metal salt catalyst is used along with an initiator. An antioxidant is used in combination with a hindered amine light stabilizer. The coating is suitable for use in an in-mold coating process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds represented by the following Formula Ic, in which R2-R6 can each independently be selected from hydrogen or hydrocarbyl (e.g., methyl); L1 and L4 are each independently a divalent linking group, such as a bond or —OC(O)—R8—C(O)O—, where R8 can be divalent hydrocarbyl (e.g., —CH2CH2—); each L2 and each L5 each independently represent a flexible segment, such as divalent linear or branched C1-C25 alkyl; each L3 and each L6 each independently represent a rigid segment including, for example, optionally substituted phenylen-1,4-diyl groups; t and s are each independently from 1 to 4; m and p are each independently from 0 to 4 for each t, provided that the sum of m and p is at least 1 for each t; q and r are each independently from 0 to 4 for each s, provided that the sum of q and r is at least 1 for each s; and E1 and E2 can each independently be hydrogen or hydrocarbyl.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds represented by the following Formula I, In Formula I, R1 and R2 are each independently selected from hydrogen, and optionally substituted hydrocarbyl, provided that at least one of R1 and R2 is selected from optionally substituted hydrocarbyl (e.g., tertiary butyl); n is 0, 1 or 2, and each R3 is independently selected from optionally substituted hydrocarbyl; L1 is a divalent linking group, such as a bond or —C(O)O—; each L2 independently represents a flexible segment, such as divalent linear or branched C1-C25 alkyl; each L3 independently represents a rigid segment including, for example, optionally substituted phenylen-1,4-diyl groups; t is from 1 to 4; m and p are each independently from 0 to 4 for each t, provided that the sum of m and p is at least 1 for each t; and E can be, for example, C5-C18 aryl.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds represented by the following Formula I, in which R1-R6 can each independently be selected from hydrogen or hydrocarbyl (e.g., methyl); L1 is a divalent linking group, such as a bond or —OC(O)—R8—C(O)O—, where R8 can be divalent hydrocarbyl (e.g., —CH2CH2—); each L2 independently represents a flexible segment, such as divalent linear or branched C1-C25 alkyl; each L3 independently represents a rigid segment including, for example, optionally substituted phenylen-1,4-diyl groups; t is from 1 to 4; m and p are each independently from 0 to 4 for each t, provided that the sum of m and p is at least 1 for each t; and E can be hydrogen or hydrocarbyl. The present invention also relates to compositions, such as liquid crystal compositions, and articles, such as optical elements, that include the compound represented by Formula I.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds represented by the following Formula Ia, in which each R1-R6 can in each case be independently selected from hydrogen or hydrocarbyl (e.g., methyl); R7 is a multivalent linking group, such as L1 is a divalent linking group, such as a bond or divalent optionally substituted hydrocarbyl; each L2 independently represents a flexible segment, such as divalent linear or branched C1-C25 alkyl; each L3 independently represents a rigid segment including, for example, optionally substituted phenylen-1,4-diyl groups; t is from 1 to 4; m and p are each independently from 0 to 4 for each t, provided that the sum of m and p is at least 1 for each t; and E can be hydrogen or optionally substituted hydrocarbyl. The present invention also relates to compositions, such as liquid crystal compositions, and articles, such as optical elements, that include the compound represented by Formula Ia.

Abstract: The present invention provides optical elements comprising a photochromic linear polarizing element and a birefringent layer that circularly or elliptically polarizes transmitted radiation. The photochromic linear polarizing element comprises a substrate and either: (1) a coating comprising an aligned, thermally reversible photochromic-dichroic compound having an average absorption ratio of at least 1.5 in an activated state, and being operable for switching from a first absorption state to a second absorption state in response to actinic radiation, to revert back to the first absorption state in response to thermal energy, and to linearly polarize transmitted radiation in at least one of the two states; or (2) an at least partially ordered polymeric sheet connected to the substrate; and a thermally reversible photochromic-dichroic compound that is at least partially aligned with the polymeric sheet and has an average absorption ratio greater than 2.3 in the activated state.

Abstract: The present invention provides composite optical elements including a photochromic linear polarizing element and a birefringent layer such that composite optical element circularly or elliptically polarizes transmitted radiation. The photochromic linear polarizing element is formed from (i) an at least partially ordered polymeric sheet; and (ii) a reversible photochromic-dichroic material that is at least partially aligned with the polymeric sheet and has an average absorption ratio of at least 1.5 in the activated state. The birefringent layer includes a polymeric coating or a polymeric sheet connected to the photochromic linear polarizing element.

Abstract: Provided are photochromic articles that include a substrate, a primer layer that includes a first photochromic compound, and a photochromic-dichroic layer over the primer layer that includes a photochromic-dichroic compound. The first photochromic compound and the photochromic-dichroic compound each are selected such that the photochromic-dichroic compound has an absorbance of less than or equal to 0.1 at the wavelength of peak absorbance of the underlying first photochromic compound. The present invention also relates to such photochromic articles that further include a topcoat layer over the photochromic-dichroic layer. The topcoat layer can include a second photochromic compound that has an absorbance of less than 0.1 at the wavelength of peak absorbance of the underlying photochromic-dichroic compound. The photochromic articles provide, for example, a combination of linear polarizing properties, and reduced percent transmittance when in a colored or darkened state, such as when exposed to actinic light.

Abstract: Compounds including at least one mesogenic substructure and at least one long flexible segment and methods of synthesizing the same are disclosed. Formulations which include various embodiments of the mesogen-containing compounds and their use in articles of manufacture and ophthalmic devices are also disclosed.

Abstract: Various non-limiting embodiments disclosed herein provide phase-separating polymer systems including a cured polymeric liquid crystal matrix phase and a guest phase including at least one photoactive material where the guest phase separates from the matrix phase during the curing process. Optical elements, including ophthalmic elements and other articles of manufacture including the phase-separating polymer systems are also disclosed. Methods of forming a liquid crystal phase-separating photoactive polymer system are also described.

Abstract: A liquid crystal cell including a first substrate having a first surface; a second substrate having a second surface, wherein the second surface of the second substrate is opposite and spaced apart from the first surface of the first substrate so as to define a region; and within the region defined by the first surface and the second surface, a liquid crystal material adapted to be at least partially ordered and at least one thermally reversible photochromic-dichroic compound adapted to be at least partially aligned and having an average absorption ratio greater than 2.3 in an activated state.