Synthesis and photopolymerization characterization of a novel difunctional photoinitiator

A novel difunctional photoinitiator HBP‐TDI‐HBP based on 4‐hydroxybenzophenone (HBP) and toluene‐2,4‐diisocyanate (TDI) was synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy. The kinetics of photopolymerization was studied by real‐time infrared spectroscopy. It showed that HBP‐TDI‐HBP was a more effective photoinitiator than benzophenone. When this photointiator and amine were used to efficiently initiate polymerization of acrylates and methacrylates, both rate of polymerization and final conversion increased with increase of HBP‐TDI‐HBP concentration, light intensity, and amine concentration. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Preparation of silica/polyurethane nanocomposites by UV‐induced polymerization from surfaces of silica

UV‐curable nanocomposites were prepared by the in situ photopolymerizaton with nanosilica obtained from sol–gel process. The photoinitiator 2‐hydroxy‐2‐methyl‐1‐phenylpropane‐1‐one (1173) was anchored onto the surface of the nanosilica with or without methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MAPS) modification. The photopolymerization kinetics was studied by real‐time Fourier transform IR (RTIR), and the microstructure and properties of the nanocomposite were investigated using transmission electron microscopy and UV–visible (UV–vis) transmistance spectra. RTIR analysis indicated that the nanocomposites without MAPS had higher curing rates and final conversion than those with MAPS. The nanocomposites with an uniformal dispersion of nanosilica had high UV–vis transmittance. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Synthesis,characterization, and photophysical properties of novel poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) derivatives with conjugated thiophene as side chains

Two novel poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) (PPV) derivatives with conjugated thiophene side chains, P1 and P2, were synthesized by Wittig‐Horner reaction. The resulting polymers were characterized by ¹H‐NMR, FTIR, GPC, DSC, TGA, UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The polymers exhibited good thermal stability and film‐forming ability. The absorption spectra of P1 and P2 showed broader absorption band from 300 to 580 nm compared with poly[(p‐phenylene vinylene)‐alt‐(2‐methoxy‐5‐octyloxy‐p‐phenylene vinylene)] (P3) without conjugated thiophene side chains. Cyclic voltammograms displayed that the bandgap was reduced effectively by attaching conjugated thiophene side chains. This kind of polymer appears to be interesting candidates for solar‐cell applications. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

UV‐induced crosslinking and cyclization of solution‐cast polyacrylonitrile copolymer

An alternative, rapid stabilization route for polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursors is reported based on UV‐induced crosslinking and cyclization reactions. Two mechanisms of photoinitiation were investigated: homolytic cleavage and hydrogen abstraction. Solution‐cast PAN copolymer samples were irradiated for different durations (100, 300, and 600 s) and temperatures (～65 and 100°C, below and above glass transition temperature respectively). FTIR spectra show the formation of carbon–oxygen, carbon–nitrogen, and carbon–carbon double bonds (1450–1700 cm^?1 region) attributed to the development of cyclized structure. Conversion indices estimated from the FTIR spectra indicate samples containing hydrogen abstraction photoinitiator show higher extents of cyclization among the three main set of samples. This observation was also confirmed by higher gel percentages measured on the same set of samples. FTIR conversion indices of samples UV‐treated above glass transition temperature were higher compared with that for the same specimens UV‐treated below glass transition temperature. DSC results show that samples containing hydrogen abstraction photoinitiator enable a higher extent of post‐UV thermal cyclization. FTIR spectra of the UV treated samples were compared with conventional thermal stabilized specimens. This comparison confirms that the addition of 1 wt % photoinitiator to PAN followed by 5 min of UV treatment increases the rate of the cyclization reaction and reduces the thermal oxidation time by over an hour, which could significantly reduce the conventional stabilization time by half. These results indicate the potential for an energy‐efficient, cost‐effective route for producing carbon fibers. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Triply‐responsive (thermo/light/pH) copolymeric hydrogel of N‐isopropylacrylamide with an azobenzene‐containing monomer

A series of triply‐responsive copolymer hydrogel was firstly synthesized via free radical polymerization of N‐isopropylacrylamide, 4‐[(4‐(acryloyloxy)ethoxy) phenylazo]benzoic acid (AEPAZA), a water‐soluble azobenzene‐containing comonomer, and crosslinker. The properties of the hydrogel were subsequently investigated by UV‐Vis absorption spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry, and gravimetry. UV‐Vis spectra showed that the copolymer hydrogel had a reasonable tran–cis photoisomerization rate upon UV irradiation and a relatively slow recovery rate in dark. The critical solution temperature (CST) of the copolymer hydrogel decreased with increasing of AEPAZA content and subsequently shifted higher value after UV irradiation. Meanwhile, the phase transitions profile became slower and broader with the incorporation of AEPAZA, which could be partly counterbalanced by UV irradiation. The CST could also be affected by the pH value of buffer solution. In addition, equilibrium swelling behavior clearly showed that the swelling ratio could be modulated by temperature, light, and pH. These stimuli‐responsive properties should be very important for controlled release delivery system. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Efficient Benzodioxole‐based unimolecular photoinitiators: From synthesis to photopolymerization under UV‐A and visible LED light irradiation

The narrow emission spectra of light emitting diodides (LED) as irradiation source has brought great challenge for the development of efficient photoinitiators sensitive to LED light. This paper described a series of novel unimolecular type II photoinitiators, containing thioxanthones as chromophores and benzodioxoles as coinitiators. The structures of the photoinitiators were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and high‐resolution mass spectrometer. Study on the photophysical properties of the photoinitiators indicated that electron donors/acceptors as spacers between thioxanthone and benzodioxole affected both the UV–Vis absorption and the fluorescence emission. The long wavelength absorptions from 385 nm to 402 nm as well as low fluorescence quantum yields make the investigated benzodioxole derivatives quite attractive as efficient photoinitiators under UV‐A and visible LED light irradiation. With a proper molecular design, the unimolecular photoinitiator exhibited higher initiation efficiency than the thioxanthone derivatives from the literature. Possible initiation mechanism was also proposed based on the photolysis study. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43239.     

POSS‐based fluorinated azobenzene‐containing polymers: Photo‐responsive behavior and evaluation of water repellency

The photoresponsive polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) based fluorinated azobenzene‐containing polymers were prepared and characterized by NMR, FT‐IR, GPC, XRD, TG and UV–Vis spectra. The thermal property of the polymers was improved by the introduction of POSS cage. The trans‐cis photoisomerization of the polymers in solution was similar to that of the fluorinated azobenzene monomer and in accordance with the first‐order reaction kinetics equation within the first 250 seconds UV irradiation. The cotton fabrics coated with the polymers showed excellent water repellency and possessed switchable wettability under UV irradiation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43540.     

Ultraviolet‐curing behavior of an epoxy acrylate resin system

Ultraviolet (UV)‐curing behavior of an epoxy acrylate resin system comprising an epoxy acrylate oligomer, a reactive diluent, and a photoinitiator was investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The conversion changes of the resin system containing 20 phr of 1,6‐hexanediol diacrylate as a reactive diluent and 2‐hydroxy‐2‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐propan‐1‐one as a photoinitiator were measured under different UV‐curing conditions. The fractional conversion was calculated from the area of the absorption peak for the vinyl group vibration occurring at 810 cm^?1. The effects of photoinitiator concentration, total UV dosage, one‐step or stepwise UV irradiation, UV intensity, atmosphere, and temperature on the curing behavior of the resin system were investigated. The conversion of the resin system increased rapidly at the initial stage of the UV‐curing process but increased very slowly after that. The final conversion of the resin system was mainly affected by total UV dosage. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 1180–1185, 2005     

Photopolymerization of 1‐adamantyl acrylate pohotoinitiated by free radical photoinitiators

1‐Adamantyl acrylate was synthesized by reacting of 1‐adamantanol with acryloyl chloride in the presence of tertiary amine. The structure of monomer was characterized by FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The influence of photoinitiator and monomer types on the photopolymerization kinetics of this monomer was investigated by real‐time infrared spectroscopy (RTIR). In the UV curing system, the introduction of 1‐adamantyl acrylate could significantly reduce the polymerization shrinkage. Thermogravimetric analysis of 1‐adamantyl acrylate indicated that 1‐adamantyl acrylate polymer has higher thermal stability than that of general commercial products. The results indicated that the synthesized monomer has good curing performance. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Effect of ferrocene substituents and ferricinium additive on the properties of polyaniline derivatives and catalytic activities of palladium‐doped poly(m‐ferrocenylaniline)‐catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reactions

Poly(aniline‐co‐m‐ferrocenylaniline) and ferricinium‐doped poly(aniline‐co‐m‐ferrocenylaniline) were synthesized by a conventional chemical oxidative polymerization, then characterized by spectroscopic techniques and quantitative analyzes. Increasing of the percentages of m‐ferrocenylaniline in the copolymers resulted to a blue shift of UV–Vis absorption spectra. Broader EPR spectra indicated the loss of conjugation and crystallinity of copolymers. ¹H NMR spectra confirmed the presence of ferrocene moieties and ferricinium in the polymers. The CV measurements showed that the electron withdrawing power of ferrocene moieties could lead to the decreasing of electron delocalization on the polymer main chain. The VSM results showed that as‐prepared copolymers were soft magnetic materials with very low magnetization. Pd‐doped poly(m‐ferrocenylaniline) as catalysts were utilized in the Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reactions to improve the catalytic activities. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 1489–1497, 2013     

Preparation and characterization of an amphiphilic macrophotoinitiator based on 2‐hydroxyl‐2‐methyl‐1‐phenylpropanone

On the basis of 2‐hydroxyl‐2‐methyl‐1‐phenylpropanone (HMPP) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), we prepared amphiphilic macrophotoinitiators (HMPP–PEG–HMPP) by first reacting HMPP with isophorone diisocyanate and subsequently reacting it with PEGs with different chain lengths. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, high‐performance liquid chromatography, and ¹H‐NMR were used to confirm the structure of the amphiphilic macrophotoinitiators. Ultraviolet (UV) absorption spectra showed that the amphiphilic macrophotoinitiators had maximum absorption wavelengths that were similar to those of the low‐molecular‐weight photoinitiator HMPP. The photolysis rate of the amphiphilic macrophotoinitiators was slightly lower than that of HMPP, but the migration rate of the amphiphilic macrophotoinitiators from a UV‐cured matrix was much lower compared to that of HMPP. Because of their amphiphilic nature, these macrophotoinitiators may play roles as both photoinitiators and emulsifiers, and they have been applied to the solution polymerization of water‐soluble monomer acrylamide in water and the emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43910.     

Synthesis,characterization, and preliminary antimicrobial evaluation of bisphenol‐A formaldehyde resin coordinated with transition metal complexes of ethylenediamine

Coordination polymers containing bisphenol‐A, formaldehyde, and transition metal complexes of ethylenediamine [M(en)₂] were synthesized by the reaction of bisphenol‐A, formaldehyde, and M(en)₂ complex in alkaline medium, using M for Fe⁺³, Co⁺², Ni⁺², Cu⁺², and Zn⁺². The materials were characterized by elemental analysis, FTIR, UV–Vis, ¹H‐NMR spectra, TGA, and magnetic susceptibility measurement. The geometry of the central metal ions was determined by electronic spectral studies and magnetic moment measurement. The M N and C N bonds were confirmed by the IR spectra of the polychelates. The ¹H‐NMR spectra of the chelating resins confirmed polycondensation with well‐defined peaks for bridging methylene functions. Complexation studies with transition metal ions revealed effective coordination of the bisphenol‐A formaldehyde resin. The antimicrobial activities of these chelated resins were screened against E. coli, S. dysantrea (bacteria), and C. albicans, A. niger (fungi) by using agar well diffusion method. All the polymeric chelates show promising antimicrobial activities. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

A water‐soluble supramolecular‐structured photoinitiator between methylated β‐cyclodextrin and 2,2‐dimethoxy‐2‐phenylacetophenone

A water‐soluble supramolecular‐structured photoinitiator (SSPI) was synthesized by supramolecular self‐assembling between methylated β‐cyclodextrin (MβCD) and hydrophobic 2,2‐dimethoxy‐2‐phenylacetophenone (DMPA). The structure of SSPI was characterized by X‐ray diffraction, FTIR, ¹H NMR, UV–vis, and fluorescence spectra. The results indicated that MβCD and DMPA had formed 1 : 1 inclusion complex in methanol solution. The binding constant (K) for the complex was 7.51 × 10²M^?1. SSPI could be dissolved in water easily and its water‐solubility was 15.3 g/100 mL. SSPI was the more efficient photoinitiator than DMPA for the photopolymerization of acrylamide (AM) in homogeneous aqueous system. The conversion for photopolymerization of trimethylolpropane triacrylate system initiated by SSPI was similar to that initiated by DMPA. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Preparation and characterization of castor oil‐based polyurethane/poly(o‐methoxyaniline) blend film

Blends made up of castor oil‐based polyurethane (PU) and poly(o‐methoxyaniline) (POMA) were obtained in the form of films by casting and characterized by FTIR, UV‐Vis‐NIR spectroscopy, and electrical conductivity measurements. Doping was carried out by immersing the films in 1.0M HCl aqueous solution. Chemical bonds between NCO group of PU and NH group of POMA were observed by means of FTIR spectra. The UV‐Vis‐NIR spectra indicated that the presence of the PU in the blend does not affect doping and formation of the POMA phase. The electrical conductivity research was in the range of 10^?3 S/cm. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007     

Synthesis and characterization of oligomers containing the α‐aminoalkylphenone chromophore as oligomeric photoinitiator

An oligomeric photoinitiator containing α‐aminoalkylphenone photoactive chromophore in the main chain was prepared from diphenyl ether, α‐chloroisobutyryl chloride, and piperazine through acylation, bromination, epoxidation, and polycondensation. The obtained oligomeric photoinitiator was characterized by GPC, TGA, traditional DSC, FTIR, NMR, UV–vis absorption, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The number‐average molecular weight (M_n) of the oligomeric photoinitiator was determined to be 2000–4000. The excitation and emission wavelengths of the fluorescence spectra were 376 and 473 nm, respectively. The thermal stability of the oligomer was found to be perfect with a decomposition temperature greater than 300°C. All the spectroscopic and thermal analyses clearly confirmed the consistence of property and structure. In a comparative photo‐DSC investigation, the oligomeric photoinitiator showed high photoinitiating efficiency while using 1,6‐hexanediol diacrylate as monomer. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 3417–3424, 2006     

Synthesis and characterization of novel silver/L‐phenylalanine‐based optically active polyacrylate nanocomposite

Novel bioactive and optically active poly(N‐acryloyl‐L ‐phenylalanine) (PAPA) was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. PAPA‐silver (Ag) nanocomposites have been successfully prepared via in situ reducing Ag⁺ ions anchored in the polymer chain using hydrazine hydrate as reducing agent in an aqueous medium. By controlling of the amount of Ag⁺ ions introduced, we have produced an organic/inorganic nanocomposite containing Ag nanoparticles with well controlled size. Nanocomposites were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared. XRD pattern showed presence of Ag nanoparticles. The PAPA/Ag nanocomposites with 1 : 10 silver nitrate (AgNO₃) : PAPA ratio revealed the presence of well‐dispersed Ag nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. All of these Ag nanoparticles formed are spherical and more than 80% of them are in the range of 15–25 nm. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Water‐soluble and polymerizable thioxanthone photoinitiator containing imidazole

A novel free radical photoinitiator, 3‐allyl‐1‐[2‐hydroxy‐3‐(thioxanthen‐9‐one‐2‐yl)oxypropyl]imidazolium chloride ([AIPTX]Cl), is synthesized by the addition reaction of 2‐(2,3‐epoxy)propoxylthioxanthone (ETX) with a heterocyclic compound imidazole firstly, and the achieved intermediate 1‐[2‐hydroxy‐3‐(thioxanthen‐9‐one‐2‐yl)oxypropyl]imidazole (IPTX) is then reacted with allyl chloride. IPTX is chosen to evaluate the photoefficiency of [AIPTX]Cl. FTIR and ¹H‐NMR confirm the structures of [AIPTX]Cl and IPTX. UV‐Vis spectra of the two photoinitiators are similar and both exhibit the maximal absorption about 400 nm. Fluorescence spectra show [AIPTX]Cl/IMZ has slightly higher fluorescence intensity than IPTX system. Photopolymerization studies indicate that [AIPTX]Cl/IMZ is more efficient for the polymerization of water‐soluble monomer than IPTX. Moreover, due to its advantages of water solubility and polymerizability, [AIPTX]Cl is an environmental‐friendly photoinitiator and has potential for application in UV‐curing systems. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40659.     

Optical and Structure Properties of Nanocrystalline Titania Powders with Cu Dopant

TiO₂ nanopowders doped by Cu were prepared by the sol–gel method. The effects of Cu doping on the structural, optical, and photo-catalytic properties of titania nanopowders have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy. XRD results suggest that adding impurities has a significant effect on anatase phase stability, crystallinity, and particle size of TiO₂. Titania rutile phase formation in the system (Ti–Cu) was promoted by Cu²⁺ doped TiO₂. The photo-catalytic activity was evaluated by photo-catalytic degradation kinetics of aqueous methylene orange (MO) under visible radiation. The results show that the photo-catalytic activity of the 5 %Cu doped TiO₂ nanopowders has a larger degradation efficiency than pure TiO ₂ under visible light. Also, the minimum band gap was estimated to be ～ 1.9–2 eV from UV–Vis spectra.     

Synthesis of UV‐curable hyperbranched polyurethane (meth)acrylate oligomers via thiol‐ene “click” chemistry

First, the second‐generation hyperbranched poly(amine‐ester) (G2‐OH) was successfully prepared by thiol‐ene “click” chemistry. Subsequently, a series of photosensitive hyperbranched oligomers (G2‐ORs) were synthesized by facile modifications of the G2‐OH with acryloyl chloride, methacryloyl chloride, IPDI‐HEA, and IPDI‐HEMA, respectively. The structures of hyperbranched oligomers were characterized by element analysis, FT‐IR, ¹H NMR, GPC and viscosity measurement. It was shown that these synthesized oligomers have narrow molecular weight distribution and low intrinsic viscosity at 30°C. UV–vis spectra results showed that the G2‐ORs had sharp absorption bands at around 202 nm. The results of photosensitivities measurement indicated that the G2‐Macr shows the highest photosensitive than other hyperbranched oligomers in the absence of photoinitiator. In addition, these UV‐cured photosensitive G2‐ORs had good thermal properties. The solubilities of the synthesized hyperbranched oligomers were also examined. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Polymeric Michler's ketone photoinitiator containing coinitiator amine

Novel polymeric photoinitiator based on Michler's ketone (MK) (PMKPR) was synthesized by introducing coinitiator amine and MK into the same polymeric chain as well as the low‐molecular weight model compounds. UV–vis spectra show that PMKPR has the characteristic UV–vis absorption of MK. The photobleaching behavior of PMKPR and the model compounds were studied, indicating that the photobleaching rate of PMKPR is much faster than that of model compounds. Two types of monomer with different functionality, 2,2‐bis[4‐(acryloxypolyethoxy)phenyl] propane (A‐BPE‐10) and trimethylopropane triacrylate (TMPTA), were chosen to be initiated by these photoinitiators. The result indicates that PMKPR is an efficient photoinitiator for polymerization of A‐BPE‐10 and TMPTA. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers