Method and composition for incorporating radiation-absorbing agents into polymers

A method of forming a tinted contact lens, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a first aqueous solution of a functionalized poly(vinyl alcohol), wherein the poly(vinyl alcohol) has a weight average molecular weight of at least about 2000;
• b) adding a functionalized vinyl sulfone dye to the functionalized poly(vinyl alcohol) solution to form a mixture;
• c) providing a double-sided contact lens mold comprising a male mold half and a female mold half;
• and introducing the mixture into the female mold half of the double-sided contact lens mold;
• d) removably affixing the male contact lens mold half to the female contact lens mold half, thereby defining a lens-forming cavity;
• and
• e) applying ultraviolet radiation to polymerize and/or crosslink the poly(vinyl alcohol) and to react the vinyl sulfone dye with the poly(vinyl alcohol) to form a carbon--carbon bond therebetween, thereby forming a tinted contact lens.

A radiation-absorbing polymeric article which is formed by a process comprising the steps of:

• a) contacting a vinvl-functionalized polymer precursor comprising polymerizable or crosslinkable groups and having an average molecular weight of at least about 2000 with a vinyl-functionalized dye comprising at least one polymerizable or crosslinkable group capable of reacting with the polymerizable or crosslinkable groups on the polymer precursor, thereby forming a prepolymerization mixture;
• b) dispensing said prepolymerization mixture into a mold;
• and
• c) applying radiation to the prepolymerization mixture in the mold, thereby bonding the dye to the polymer precursor through a saturated carbon--carbon bond, and crosslinking and polymerizing the polymer precursor and the dye to form a radiation-absorbing polymeric article.