Dichroic Ultraviolet Light Filters

With the intention to produce dichroic filters for use in photoluminescent systems that rely on polarized UV light, we synthesized a number of linear, dichroic dyes, which absorb mainly in the near-UV range of the electromagnetic spectrum. These dyes were designed for compatibility with common thermoplastic polymers such as linear low-density poly(ethylene), poly(ethylene terephthalate), and polyamide-12. Films of these host polymers that consisted of 0.2% by weight of various dichroic UV dyes were produced by common meltprocessing schemes. Uniaxial drawing of these films yielded highly dichroic UV filters with dichroic ratios in absorption that in some cases exceeded 100. The fact that these free-standing films display little or no coloration and are environmentally stable makes them useful for various applications that involve generation of polarized UV light.