Anionic photoinitiation
AssigneeUniversity of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorCharles R. Kutal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for the anionic photoinitiation of a substrate that includes exposing the substrate to an inorganic complex that releases an anionically charged nucleophile on irradiation.
Claims18
A method for polymerizing a monomer or oligomer or crosslinking an oligomer or polymer, in the absence of protic solvents, comprising irradiating a mixture of a monomer, oligomer, or polymer and an inorganic transition metal complex, under irradiation conditions sufficient for the inorganic transition metal complex to photochemically react to release a polymerization initiating substance consisting essentially of an anionically charged nucleophile, and said anionically charged nucleophile initiates a polymerization reaction of said monomer or oligomer or a crosslinking reaction of said oligomer or polymer, in the absence of protic solvents to form a product polymer material.
A method polymerizing a monomer or oligomer or crosslinking an oligomer or polymer comprising the step of irradiating a mixture of said monomer, oligomer, or polymer and an inorganic transition metal complex, under irradiation conditions sufficient for the inorganic transition metal complex to photochemically react to release a polymerization initiating substance consisting essentially of an anionically charged and said anionically charged nucleophile initiates a polymerization reaction of said monomer or oligomer or a crosslinking reaction of said oligomer or polymer, wherein:
- (i) the inorganic transition metal complex releases a nucleophilic anion when irradiated with visible or ultra-violet radiation;
- (ii) the inorganic transition metal complex has a quantum efficiency of anion release from the complex of at least 0.0001;
- (iii) the inorganic transition metal complex has a solubility in a nonaqueous solvent of at least 1.times.10.sup.-4 M;
- (iv) the inorganic transition metal complex is thermally stable at room temperature for at least 1 month, and
- (v) the polymerizing or crosslinking reactions occur in the absence of protic solvents.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.