This study aimed to enhance the limited UV-blocking capability of conventional hydrogel contact lenses by incorporating Er₂O₃, a material with high visible light transmittance and effective UV absorption, and by evaluating the differences in physical properties between thermal and photo-polymerization methods. Methods: Er₂O₃ was added to the base lens formulation at varying concentrations. The samples were fabricated using thermal polymerization (HE_1–HE_5) and photopolymerization (LE_1–LE_5), and the resulting lenses were evaluated for particle dispersion, UV-blocking efficiency, wettability, surface characteristics, refractive index, water content, tensile strength, and antibacterial activity. Results: Increasing the Er₂O₃ concentration improved multiple physical properties compared with the control lenses, with both polymerization methods showing the highest UV-blocking performance at a concentration of 0.3%. Additionally, lenses produced via photopolymerization exhibited superior physical and optical properties compared with those produced via thermal polymerization under identical formulation conditions. Conclusion: The photopolymerization process demonstrated overall superior performance in UV protection, water content, mechanical strength, and antibacterial activity. These findings suggest that photopolymerization is a more suitable fabrication method for the development of high-performance functional contact lenses.
조선대학교 기초과학연구원 [The Natural Science Research Institute of Chosun]
설립연도
2008
분야
자연과학>자연과학일반
소개
본 연구원은 기초과학을 진흥하기 위한 연구·교육 및 그 보급을 목적으로 한다. 이 목적을 달성하기 위하여 다음 각 호의 사업을 수행한다.
1. 기초과학 제 분야에 관한 조사와 연구
2. 기초과학에 관한 학술행사(학술대회, 학술세미나, 심포지엄, 초청강연회 등) 개최
3. 학문후속세대 및 일반인을 위한 기초과학 교육
4. 기관지『조선자연과학논문지』 발간
5. 『자연과학연구총서』, 『자연과학번역총서』 등 단행본 발간
6. 기타 본 연구원의 목적과 관련된 사업
간행물
간행물명
통합자연과학논문집(구 조선자연과학논문집) [Journal of Integrative Natural Science]