Photopolymerization reactions

It has been possible to fabricate porous monoliths within silicon [16], glass [17], and polymer [18, 19] microchaimels. Within silica and glass channels, porous monoliths can be fabricated by a thermally aided sol-gel reaction. Photopolymerization of acrylate monomers in the presence of porogens (inert organic solvents) has also been used to obtain porous monoliths. By varying the composition of the monomer blend, the composition of the porogen mixture, and the ratio of monomer to porogen, it is possible to control the porosity of the monolith and the modal size of its pores. In addition, if the channels are made out of acrylate... 

Photopolymerization reactions of monolayers have become of interest (note Chapter XV). Lando and co-workers have studied the UV polymerization of 16-heptadecenoic acid [311] and vinyl stearate [312] monolayers. Particularly interesting is the UV polymerization of long-chain diacetylenes. As illustrated in Fig. IV-30, a zipperlike process can occur if the molecular orientation in the film is just right (e.g., polymerization does not occur readily in the neat liquid) (see Refs. 313-315). 

Acid-C t lyzed Chemistry. Acid-catalyzed reactions form the basis for essentially all chemically amplified resist systems for microlithography appHcations (61). These reactions can be generally classified as either cross-linking (photopolymerization) or deprotection reactions. The latter are used to unmask acidic functionality such as phenohc or pendent carboxyhc acid groups, and thus lend themselves to positive tone resist apphcations. Acid-catalyzed polymer cross-linking and photopolymerization reactions, on the other hand, find appHcation in negative tone resist systems. Representative examples of each type of chemistry are Hsted below. 

Photopolymerization. In many cases polymerization is initiated by ittadiation of a sensitizer with ultraviolet or visible light. The excited state of the sensitizer may dissociate directiy to form active free radicals, or it may first undergo a bimoleculat electron-transfer reaction, the products of which initiate polymerization (14). TriphenylaLkylborate salts of polymethines such as (23) ate photoinitiators of free-radical polymerization. The sensitivity of these salts throughout the entire visible spectral region is the result of an intra-ion pair electron-transfer reaction (101). 

The photopolymerization process taking place within a representative mixture of sensitizer, initiator, chain-transfer agent, and monomer, typical of positive Cromalin, has been studied in detail (41,42). The exact mechanism is still controversial, but a generalized reaction scheme can be postulated as follows, where L2 = biimidazole dimer, S = sensitizer, RH = chain-transfer agent, L2 = excited biimidazole dimer, L = biimidazole radical,... 

Photosensitized Reactions for Polymers. The economic and technical features for photocross-linking, photosolubilizafion, and photopolymerization reactions have been reviewed (55). The widely used poly(vinyl ciunamates) (PVCN) photocross-link by a photodimerization reaction. 

Photopolymerization reactions are widely used for printing and photoresist appHcations (55). Spectral sensitization of cationic polymerization has utilized electron transfer from heteroaromatics, ketones, or dyes to initiators like iodonium or sulfonium salts (60). However, sensitized free-radical polymerization has been the main technology of choice (55). Spectral sensitizers over the wavelength region 300—700 nm are effective. AcryUc monomer polymerization, for example, is sensitized by xanthene, thiazine, acridine, cyanine, and merocyanine dyes. The required free-radical formation via these dyes may be achieved by hydrogen atom-transfer, electron-transfer, or exciplex formation with other initiator components of the photopolymer system. 

Previously, the same author [52] reported that compounds containing the tricoordinated sulfur cation, such as the triphenylsulfonium salt, worked as effective initiators in the free radical polymerization of MMA and styrene [52]. Because of the structural similarity of sulfonium salt and ylide, diphenyloxosulfonium bis-(me-thoxycarbonyl) methylide (POSY) (Scheme 28), which contains a tetracoordinated sulfur cation, was used as a photoinitiator by Kondo et al. [63] for the polymerization of MMA and styrene. The photopolymerization was carried out with a high-pressure mercury lamp the orders of reaction with respect to [POSY] and [MMA] were 0.5 and 1.0, respectively, as expected for radical polymerization. 

HPO group is sensitive to light, but stable to heat. Using this MAI, St was thermally polymerized at the first step, and then MMA was photopolymerized at the second step [12]. Block efficiency was 40-55% and the amount of PSt homopolymer decreased, while that of PMMA homopolymer increased, presumably due to chain transfer reaction. 

The presence of one carbonyl group per oligomer molecule was also ascertained. The orange colour of the resin suggested that some minor event during the photopolymerization produced chromophores in small concentrations. The presence of furoin among the products corroborated the proposed mechanism, which was shown not to involve free radical chain reactions. 

Bowman CN, Kloxin CJ (2008) Toward an enhanced understanding and implementation of photopolymerization reactions. AIChE J 54 2775-2795... 

Direct transformation from 2,5-DSP to poly-2,5-DSP through 2,5-DSP oligomer in the crystal is shown in Scheme 1. This new reaction was named a four-centre-type photopolymerization. As well as being the first example of a topochemical reaction in a pure sense, the four-centre-type photopolymerization of 2,5-DSP crystals was the first example of photopolymerization via a step-growth mechanism. 

In the crystal of 1,4-dicinnamoylbenzene (1,4-DCB) (see Fig. 12), the distances between the intermolecular photoadductive carbons are 3.973 and 4.086 A for one cyclobutane ring, and 3.903 and 3.955 A for the other. The two topochemical pathways may occur competitively in a single crystal of 1,4-DCB at the initial stage of reaction. Then, both intramolecular photodimerization and intermolecular photopolymerization of the diolefinic mono-cyclobutane intermediate occur competitively to give tricyclic dimer 21,22,23,24-tetraphenyl-l,4,ll,14-tetraoxo-2(13),12(13-diethanol, [4.4] para-cyclophane or oligomers (Hasegawa et al., (1985). On photoirridation at room temperature the 1,4-DCB crystal gives >90% of the tricylic... 

In 1957, Otsu and coworkers reported that the polymer obtained from St with 13 could induce the radical polymerization of second monomers leading to block copolymers [70-74]. Poly(St)-hZock-poly(MMA), poly(St)-hZock-poly (AN), poly(St)-Z Zock-poly(VAc), and poly(St)-hZock-poly(VA) were prepared from the end-functional poly(St) [75], In the photopolymerization of St and MMA with 13, it was also confirmed that the molecular weight of the polymers produced linearly increased with the reaction time, although the reaction mechanism was not ascertained at that time. Thereafter, the poly(St) produced with 13 was confirmed to have two DC end groups, which can further dissociate pho-tochemically [76]. 

Recently, Kondo and coworkers reported on the polymerization of St with diphenyl diselenides (37) as the photoiniferters (Eq. 39) [ 162]. In the photopolymerization of St in the presence of 37a and 37b, the polymer yield and the molecular weight of the polymers increased with reaction time. The chain-end structure of the resulting polymer 38 was characterized. Polymer 38 underwent the reductive elimination of terminal seleno groups by reaction with tri-n-butyltin hydride in the presence of AIBN (Eq. 40). It also afforded the poly(St) with double bonds at both chain ends when it was treated with hydrogen peroxide (Eq. 41). They also reported the polymerization of St with diphenyl ditelluride to afford well-controlled molecular weight and its distribution [163]. 

The second section focuses on emerging classes of photopolymerizations that are being developed as alternatives to acrylates. Three types of polymerization systems are included cationic photopolymerizations, initiator-free charge-transfer polymerizations, and a thiol-ene reaction system. The last section covers four interesting emerging applications of photopolymerization technology. 

Photocrosslinking. The second class of photopolymer chemistry that is used in some commercial products is based on the reaction of unsaturated moieties attached to an organic polymer. These photopolymer materials include the [2+2] cycloaddition of the ethylenic groups in poly(vinyl cinnamate) polymers and in the newer styryl pyridinium (10) and thiazolium (77) derivatives of poly(vinyl alcohol). The main advantage of this chemistry is that, unlike free-radical photopolymerization, they are insensitive to the presence of oxygen. This photopolymer mechanism is principally used in applications employing a washout development process (e.g. resists). 

Reaction Behavior and Kinetic Modeling Studies of Living Radical Photopolymerizations... 

In this work, the kinetics of these reactions are closely examined by monitoring photopolymerizations initiated by a two-component system consisting of a conventional photoinitiator, such as 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenyl acetophenone (DMPA) and TED. By examining the polymerization kinetics in detail, further understanding of the complex initiation and termination reactions can be achieved. The monomers discussed in this manuscript are 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), which forms a linear polymer upon polymerization, and diethylene glycol dimethacrylate (DEGDMA), which forms a crosslinked network upon polymerization. 

Once the reaction of DTC radicals with monomer is neglected, propagation of radicals follows the mechanism seen in other radical photopolymerizations ... 

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