Synergistic Enhancement of Oxygen Permeability in Silane-Modified Hydrogel Networks for Advanced Ophthalmic Applications

This study investigates the compatibility of various acrylic and silane monomers and aims to develop a high-performance hydrogel ophthalmic polymer. The formulations incorporated 2-(trimethylsiloxy)ethyl methacrylate (2TSEMA), 3-(methacryloxy)propyl tris(trimethylsiloxy)silane (3TRIS), and (1,1-dimethyl-2-propyl)oxy-trimethylsilane (TRIS) as functional additives to a base composition of silanol-terminated silicone (Sil-OH), N,N-dimethyl acrylamide (DMA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and methyl acrylate (MA). Copolymerization was carried out using ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the crosslinking agent and azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the thermal initiator. All synthesized hydrogel lenses exhibited excellent optical transparency, indicating good monomer compatibility. The optical and physicochemical properties of the hydrogels varied depending on monomer composition. Notably, the formulation combining 2TSEMA with 1 wt% TRIS showed enhanced oxygen permeability, suggesting a synergistic interaction between the two silane-based components. These results demonstrate the potential of such hybrid formulations for use in next-generation functional hydrogel ophthalmic lenses.