Breakthrough in Advanced New Materials! CAS 16432-81-8 (UV416) Empowers Industrial Upgrading of Optical Materials and High-end Medical Aesthetic Protection

Against the backdrop of iterative upgrades in high-end fine chemicals, optical materials and protective materials, a core functional monomer has become the industry focus thanks to its outstanding UV absorption capacity, polymerization & crosslinking properties, and superior safety stability. This material is CAS 16432-81-8, commonly known in the industry as UV416, with the chemical name Ethyl 2-(4-benzoyl-3-hydroxyphenoxy)acrylate.

As a multi-functional fine chemical featuring photostability, UV resistance and polymerizability, it thoroughly addresses long-standing industry pain points of conventional protective materials, such as easy migration, peeling, short service life of UV protection and limited application scenarios. It is widely adopted in key sectors including contact lenses, high-end optical coatings, medical aesthetic protective films, and UV curable resins, injecting strong momentum into the high-quality development of the new materials industry.

Precise Profile: Core Product Datasheet of 16432-81-8

CAS No.: 16432-81-8

Product Alias: UV416

Chemical Name: Ethyl 2-(4-benzoyl-3-hydroxyphenoxy)acrylate

Product Category: Polymerizable UV Absorbing Monomer

Key Highlights: 

The molecule contains an acrylate double bond capable of participating in UV free-radical polymerization. Its UV-absorbing moiety is chemically anchored into the resin network to prevent migration and blooming.

Conventional small-molecule UV absorbers are incorporated merely by physical blending. Over long-term service, they gradually migrate from the bulk material to the surface, causing yellowing, blooming, contamination of contacting substrates and degradation of UV shielding performance. Such risks are particularly critical for human-contact optical articles and medical aesthetic substrates. UV416 resolves this bottleneck at the molecular level. Its benzoylphenol structure delivers efficient UV absorption, while the acrylate double bond enables chemical grafting. After polymerization, the UV-absorbing structure is permanently bonded onto the polymer backbone, fundamentally suppressing migration.

Core Performance Advantages

1.Powerful UV Absorption: Excellent absorption in the UVA range. Effectively blocks ultraviolet radiation, retards photoaging of polymer substrates and inhibits resin cracking, haze formation and yellowing.

2.Non-migratory & Non-blooming: The polymerizable double bond takes part in curing and crosslinking instead of simple filler blending. No bleeding occurs during long-term service, suitable for high-purity and contact-type materials.

3.Excellent Compatibility: Good miscibility with acrylate resins, UV curing systems and silicon-based optical materials. Minimal risk of increased haze, delamination or whitening, maintaining optical transparency.

4.Low Odor & Low Volatility: Lower volatile content compared with many small-molecule UV absorbers. Less VOC emission during curing, suitable for enclosed production and odor-sensitive end products.

5.Wide Compatibility with Curing Systems: Applicable to free-radical UV curing systems, compatible with various photoinitiators, and can be flexibly formulated in films, coatings and bulk polymerization systems.

Main Application Fields

*Optical Polymer Field：Contact lenses, optical lens coatings and optical films. Thanks to its non-migratory property, there is no risk of small molecule blooming even in direct contact with tear fluid or skin. It preserves the light transmittance of lenses, blocks UV damage to eyes and extends the service life of optical products.

*UV Curable Coatings & Inks：Optical protective films, PET hard coatings, plastic topcoats and high-end inks. Incorporation of UV416 significantly improves the weather resistance of coatings. The films retain gloss and resist aging during long-term outdoor exposure without compromising curing speed or film transparency.

*Medical Aesthetic & Flexible Protective Films：Substrates for medical aesthetic repair membranes and flexible protective films. Featuring high material safety and no blooming risk, it can block UV radiation and prevent substrate aging, making it suitable for flexible polymer materials in direct skin contact.

*Other High-end Resin Systems：Photolithography auxiliary coatings, flexible resin substrates and protective coatings for electronic components. For electro-optical materials requiring UV resistance and high cleanliness, it enhances the resin’s photoaging resistance and prevents performance degradation of electro-optical devices under prolonged light exposure.

Industrial Value Outlook

Driven by the continuous localization of China’s high-end optics, medical aesthetic materials and UV curing industries, market demand for low-migration, high-safety functional monomers keeps rising. Traditional imported polymerizable UV absorbers suffer from long lead times and high costs, restricting downstream enterprises’ cost reduction and new product development. The localized mass production of CAS 16432-81-8 (UV416) fills the gap in China’s supply chain of polymerizable UV absorbing monomers.

This product empowers downstream manufacturers to develop higher-performance optical end products, reduces reliance on imported materials, and promotes the independent controllability of industrial chains for contact lenses, optical hard coats and premium UV coatings. Amid consumption upgrading, quality thresholds for optical protection, medical aesthetic substrates and electro-optical protective materials continue to increase. Polymerizable UV absorbing monomers will serve as key raw materials for formulation upgrading, boasting enormous market growth potential.

Safety & Handling Notes

UV416 is a fine chemical monomer. Store in a sealed, light-shielded environment away from heat sources and oxidants. Lab-scale trials are recommended during formulation optimization to verify dosage, curing process and substrate compatibility. Standard personal protective equipment shall be worn during handling. End products shall comply with relevant industry regulations and biosafety testing requirements for their intended applications.