Photochemically Induced ATRP of (Meth)Acrylates in the Presence of Air: The Effect of Light Intensity, Ligand, and Oxygen Concentration

Abstract

Well-defined poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) are prepared via photochemically induced atom transfer radical polymerization (photoATRP) using ppm amounts of CuBr₂ /tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine and CuBr₂ /tris[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]amine catalyst complexes, respectively, without degassing of polymerization mixture and with no need to introduce an external reducing agent to the system. The effect of ligand to CuBr₂ ratio on kinetic and induction period during the polymerization of MMA and MA is investigated. The induction period is influenced also by the amount of oxygen in the polymerization system. Both the kinetics of MA polymerization and the induction period are affected by light intensity. Finally, the high livingness and initiation efficiency of the photoATRP system in the presence of air are proved by chain extension polymerizations. The presented system is valuable from an industrial point of view, since after optimization, well-defined and high-molar-mass poly(meth)acrylates can be prepared without the necessity of degassing the system, while the polymerization can be proceeded quickly and without an induction period.