Water‐soluble photoinitiators: Primary processes in hydroxy alkyl phenyl ketones

Abstract

Abstract Photopolymerization of acrylamide in water has been investigated in the presence of watersoluble hydroxy alkyl phenyl ketones. The processes involved in the excited states (α‐cleavage, electron transfer, monomer quenching) have been studied by time‐resolved laserspectroscopy. Substitution at the para position of the phenyl ring changes drastically the reactivity and influences the possibility of synergistic effects when combining these photoinitiators with thioxanthone derivatives.