Patent ID: 7473721

Claim:
A polymerizable nanocomposite material in solid or gel form, containing a) from 4.9 to 95.9% by weight of a soluble polymer; b) from 4 to 95% by weight of a partially or fully condensed silane selected from acrylosilanes, epoxysilanes, acryloalkoxysilanes, acryloepoxysilanes, epoxyalkoxysilanes, alkoxysilanes and alkylalkoxysilanes, the silane having an inorganic condensation ratio of from 33 to 100% and an organic conversion ratio of from 0 to 95%; c) from 0 to 60% by weight of an acrylate; d) from 0.1 to 50% by weight of surface-modified nanoscale particles selected from oxides, sulfides, selenides, tellurides, halides, carbides, arsenides, antimonides, nitrides, phosphides, carbonates, carboxylates, phosphates, sulfates, silicates, titanates, zirconates, aluminates, stannates, plumbates and mixed oxides thereof; e) from 0 to 50% by weight of a softener; f) from 0 to 5% by weight of an additive selected from thermal or photochemical crosslinking initiator, sensitizer, wetting agent, adhesion promoter, rheological additive, antioxidant, stabilizer, colorant, photochromic and thermochromic substance, and a combination thereof; further where weight, in each case is expressed in terms of the total weight of solids in the nanocomposite material, wherein the polymerizable nanocomposite material is in solid or gel form.