Combination of photoinduced copper(i) catalyzed click chemistry and photosol–gel reaction for the synthesis of hybrid materials

Abstract

Synthesis of hybrid materials is an important topic of research for the design of new materials and development of industrial applications. Among the numerous pathways reported in the literature, a concomitant light induced sol–gel process and organic photopolymerization has recently appeared to be a promising alternative. In light of the potential benefits of copper catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), we investigate in this work a novel one-step methodology for preparing hybrid materials by combining photoinduced sol–gel polymerization and the light-induced CuAAC reaction. Isopropylthioxanthone was used as a photosensitizer to prompt both generation of acid by reduction of iodonium salt and formation of Cu(I) by reduction of Cu(II). Polymerization kinetics of the separated reactions were first investigated by real-time FTIR providing a clear picture of the mechanism. Then, both reactions were simultaneously monitored and both reactions were shown to occur concomitantly.