Photosensitized Cationic Polymerization of Cyclohexene Oxide Using a Phenacylanilinium Salt

Abstract

The photonitiated cationic polymerization of cyclohexene oxide with N-phenacyl-N,N-dimethylanilinium hexafluoroantimonate (PDA+SBF - b ) and a polynuclear aromatic compound, such as perylene, anthracene or phenothiazine, or an aromatic carbonyl compound, such as benzophenone or thioxanthone, was studied at λ inc > 340 nm. All the aromatic sensitizers except benzophenone and thioxanthone are effective in initiating the polymerization at at wavelengths where PDA + SbF - 6 is transparent. An initiation mechanism is iproposed that involes electron transfer from the excited sensitizer to PDA + SbF - 6 .