Urethane Methacrylate Monomers for Dental Compositions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dental materials face challenges in reducing volume shrinkage during curing while maintaining mechanical properties, with existing approaches often requiring complex compositions and marginal improvements.
Innovation Solution
A dental composition comprising a monomer or mixture of monomers represented by a specific formula, produced by reacting isocyanato ethylmethacrylate with a dihydroxyl functional bis-phenol derivative, which includes a resin matrix with at least 10 wt.% and a filler matrix with at least 40 wt.%, along with an initiator and optional additives, to achieve balanced properties of viscosity, refractive index, and molecular weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the amount of inorganic filler is raised to reduce volume shrinkage, then volume shrinkage is reduced, but the degree of conversion during curing decreases due to reduced organic resin content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical structure parameters of the monomers by introducing urethane linkages and specific backbone structures (bisphenol A, tricyclodecane) with controlled molecular weights. This allows optimization of polymerization shrinkage while maintaining adequate organic resin content for high conversion, resolving the contradiction between reducing shrinkage and maintaining degree of conversion
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite monomer systems combining different (meth)acrylate-based monomers with urethane linkages, integrating multiple functional components that work together to achieve both low shrinkage and high conversion, effectively managing the trade-off between these two critical parameters
2Volume of moving object
If pre-polymeric (meth)acrylate functional urethanes with high molecular weight are used to reduce shrinkage, then volume shrinkage is reduced, but the composition complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the molecular weight parameters of the urethane monomers within specific ranges (e.g., 200-500 g/mol for certain components) to achieve adequate shrinkage reduction without excessive molecular weight that would complicate the composition and processing, balancing shrinkage control with compositional simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces specific local structural features (urethane linkages, particular backbone configurations) at critical positions within the monomer molecules to achieve shrinkage reduction primarily where needed, rather than requiring uniformly complex high molecular weight pre-polymers throughout the entire composition
3Volume of moving object
If a mixture of different difunctional (meth)acrylate monomers is used to reduce shrinkage, then volume shrinkage is reduced, but the reaction behavior becomes complex and requires extensive optimization effort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the monomer mixture by incorporating monomers with urethane linkages and specific backbone structures that provide predictable and manageable reactivity, reducing the complexity of reaction behavior and the optimization effort required compared to conventional monomer mixtures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses monomers with homogeneous structural features (urethane linkages, similar backbone types) that exhibit consistent and predictable reaction behavior, simplifying the overall reaction kinetics and reducing the complexity of optimizing multi-component systems compared to heterogeneous monomer mixtures
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composition exhibits reduced polymerization shrinkage and improved durability without the need for high molecular weight pre-polymeric compounds or specific monomer ratios, maintaining mechanical properties and aesthetic appeal.
Implementation Method 1
These materials typically show on average a volume shrinkage of about 2.0 to about 3.5 vol-% during curing
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a dental composition comprising a monomer or mixture of monomers represented by the following structure 1 ,2Rindependently selected from H, alkyl (e.g. CH3 C2H5), and Phenyl, 3,4R independently selected from H, alkyl (e.g. CH3), and halogen (Cl, Br, F), 5R independently selected from H, alkyl (e.g. CH3), m, n = 1, 2 and x + y = 2 to 10, with the proviso that if m = n = 2, than x + y = 2 and if m = n = 1, than x + y = 4 to 10. The invention also relates to a process for producing the monomer or mixture of monomers and the use thereof especially as dental composition.