The present invention relates to optical power-limiting devices, and more particularly, to an optical power-limiting passive (self-adaptive) device and to a method for limiting solar power transmission in devices such as windows, using scattering level changes in a novel thermotropic composition that contains salt nano or microparticles embedded in a solid transparent host layer, where temperature change induces change in the refraction index of the matrix as well as of the embedded particles, creating a scattering layer, substantially reflecting the incident light thus limiting the amount of light passing through the window, green house covers, car sun roofs, solar panel windows and protection layers on housing roofs and walls, as a function of ambient temperature.

A display that includes an image producing system and a light filtering layer in the blue range, the light filtering layer having a limited impact on the gamut of the display. The image producing system has a gamut G.sub.0 defined in a color space The light filtering layer includes semi-conductive nanoparticles, and the absorbance through the light filtering layer is greater than 0.25 for each light wavelength ranging from 350 nm to λ.sub.cut, λ.sub.cut being in the range from 420 nm to 450 nm. The gamut G.sub.1 of the image producing system with the filtering layer has an area greater than 90% of the area of gamut G.sub.0 in the color space.

A glazing, which may be translucent, includes at least one design, which may be transparent. The glazing includes a substrate having two main outer surfaces, at least one of which is a textured surface, made of a dielectric material having a refractive index n1 and at least a part of the textured surface of the substrate is coated with a sol-gel layer made of a dielectric material having a refractive index n2.

A semi-transparent coating material for coating glass or glass ceramics includes at least one sol-gel hybrid-polymer coating system having a hybrid-polymer or inorganic sol-gel-based matrix, and nanoparticles and nanoscale pigments and/or dyes are added to the hybrid-polymer or inorganic sol-gel-based matrix.

A polymerizable liquid composition including semi-conductive nanoparticles for the manufacture of ophthalmic lenses. Specifically, polymerizable composition has at least one monomer or oligomer; at least one catalyst for initiating the polymerization of the monomer or oligomer; and semi-conductive nanoparticles, which are dispersed in the monomer or oligomer. The absorbance through a 2-millimeter-thick layer of the polymerizable composition is higher than 0.5 for each light wavelength ranging from 350 to λ.sub.cut, λ.sub.cut being in the visible range, preferably in the range from 400 nm to 480 nm.

A light filtering glass container including a glass container coated with a light filtering coating obtained by curing a polymerizable composition including semi-conductive nanoparticles. The absorbance through a 5-micrometer thick light filtering coating is greater than 0.5 for each light wavelength ranging from 350 nm to λ.sub.cut, λ.sub.cut being in the range from 420 nm to 480 nm, and the difference of lightness between the uncoated glass container and the glass container with the light filtering coating is lower than 5.

A coating composition and method of making a scratch resistant UV blocking glass coating is described. The composition can include an aqueous colloidal silica. a bifunctional silanol coupling agent, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), a UV absorber, and a water miscible solvent selected from glycol ethers, alkanols, keto alcohols, and combinations thereof. The molar ratio of the bi-functional silanol to TEOS is selected to provide scratch resistance coupled with water resistance.

Provided herein are nanoparticulate coated structures and methods of making structures. The structures comprise a support element, a nanoparticulate layer, and a binder disposed on the support element, wherein the binder comprises an alkali silicate or borate. In addition, methods of making the structures and uses of the described structures are described herein.

The present invention relates to optical power-limiting devices, and more particularly, to an optical power-limiting passive (self-adaptive) device and to a method for limiting solar power transmission in devices such as windows, using scattering level changes in a novel thermotropic composition that contains salt nano or microparticles embedded in a solid transparent host layer, where temperature change induces change in the refraction index of the matrix as well as of the embedded particles, creating a scattering layer, substantially reflecting the incident light thus limiting the amount of light passing through the window, green house covers, car sun roofs, solar panel windows and protection layers on housing roofs and walls, as a function of ambient temperature.

A light filtering material including at least one matrix material; and semi-conductive nanoparticles which are dispersed in the matrix material. The light filtering material has: a local maximum absorbance of highest wavelength in the range from 350 to 500 nm, the local maximum has an absorbance value A.sub.max for a wavelength .sub.max; a value of 0.9A.sub.max for a wavelength .sub.0.9, .sub.0.9 being greater than .sub.max; a value of 0.5A.sub.max for a wavelength .sub.0.5, .sub.0.5 being greater than .sub.0.9; and |.sub.0.5.sub.0.9| is less than 15 nm.