Mechanism of the Photoinduced Refractive Index Increase in Polymethyl Methacrylate

Polymethyl methacrylate prepared under special circumstances exhibits a substantial increase in refractive index after irradiation with uv light. The essential step in the preparation is peroxidation of the monomer prior to polymerization. This increase in refractive index results from a photoinduced polymerization of unreacted monomer (1-2%) within the film which produces an increase in density (and hence refractive index) in the irradiated region. It is believed that peroxides, both polymeric and monomeric, act as photoinitiators. Sensitivity depends on the concentration of photoinitiator, but the absolute value of Deltan depends on the amount of unreacte monomer.