AUTHOR=Kati Mina , Cakir Yusra Bahar , Kaya Kerem , Kiliclar Huseyin Cem , Kiskan Baris 

TITLE=Phenacyl bromide as Norrish type I photoinitiator for the facile synthesis of chain-end functional PMMA and polystyrene

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Materials

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/materials/articles/10.3389/fmats.2024.1490070

DOI=10.3389/fmats.2024.1490070

ISSN=2296-8016

ABSTRACT=Phenacyl bromide has been explored as a new Norrish Type I photoinitiator for radically polymerizing methyl methacrylate and styrene monomers. A straightforward radical photopolymerization method using UVA light for the synthesis of chain-end functional poly(methyl methacrylate) and polystyrene has been developed. The process has been refined for both bulk and solution photopolymerizations. Chain-end functionalization was demonstrated by the formation of block-copolymers of the bromineended homopolymers, utilized as macroinitiators, resulting in an increase in the molecular weight of the corresponding precursor, observed by gel-permeation chromatography (GPC). Block copolymerization was initiated by radicals generated at the chain-ends by a halogen-atom transfer reagent, namely, dimanganese decacarbonyl (Mn2(CO)10). This simple light-induced method is promising for the additive manufacturing field such as vat photopolymerization, stereolithography, digital light processing as it yields chain-end functional materials that can be further processed.