Polymer based nanocomposites with tailorable optical properties

Transparent polymers are extensively used in everyday life, from windows to computer displays, from food packaging to lenses. A possible approach for modulating their optical properties (refractive index, transparency, color and luminescence) is to change the chemical structure of the polymer, however this option is in many cases economically prohibitive. Our approach, instead, relies in the use of standard polymers with the supplement of specific nanostructured additives able to tune the final property of the material. Among others, the cases of luminescent solar concentrators based on poly(methylmethacrylate) containing luminescent quantum dots and highly transparent polymer nanocomposites with high refractive index will be presented.