Polymeric Iodonium Salts to Trigger Free Radical Photopolymerization

In a significant breakthrough from classical molecular (i.e., nonpolymeric) iodonium salts in light-induced photochemistry, the synthesis and use of new safer polymeric iodonium salts are reported here. They are shown to be involved in charge transfer complexes (CTCs) while in interaction with a safe amino acid derivative (N-phenylglycine). Also, this study demonstrates i) the formation of CTCs between the iodonium (acceptor) and an aryl/alkyl amine (donor) through UV-vis measurements of the monomer, ii) the formation of radicals in electron spin resonance spin trapping experiments when the CTCs are irradiated by visible light (405 nm), and iii) their efficiency as a photoinitiator to polymerize three different acrylic monomers under LED irradiation at 405 nm under air and their application to 3D resolved laser writing of thick samples (3 mm). High reactivity for polymeric iodonium salts comparable with molecular ones is exhibited with the advantage of potential lower migration. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported instance of polymeric iodonium salts acting as polymerization initiators.