Visible-Light-InducedReversible Complexation Mediated Living Radical Polymerization ofMethacrylates with Organic Catalysts.

Photoinduced reversible complexation mediated polymerization(photo-RCMP) was developed as a new photoinduced living radical polymerization(LRP). It consisted of an alkyl iodide as a dormant species and anamine as a catalyst, using visible light at 350–600 nm. Theamine catalysts include such common compounds as tributylamine. Mechanistically,the polymerization is induced by the photolysis of the dormant speciesand dormant species/catalyst complex, which frequently occurs as themain activation process. The polymer molecular weight and its distribution(Mw/Mn= 1.1–1.4)were well controlled in the polymerizations of methyl methacrylateand some functional methacrylates up to fairly high conversions inmany cases. Perfectly no polymerization took place without photoirradiation,meaning that the system is an ideal photo “on”–“off”switchable system. The polymerization rate was also finely tunableby the external irradiation power. Attractive features of photo-RCMPinclude the uses of inexpensive compounds and visible light, goodpolydispersity control, good tolerance to functional groups, and fineresponse to external photoirradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]