ATRP with a light switch: photoinduced ATRP using a household fluorescent lamp

Abstract

Photoinduced atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) was achieved using a simple household fluorescent lamp as the light source. In solution, methyl methacrylate could be polymerized to well-defined polymers; the photoinduced ATRP system did only convert monomers during irradiation and was inactive in the dark. In situ monitoring by UV-vis spectroscopy revealed the photoredox cycle between Cu^II and Cu^I species. The linear development of the polymer number average molar mass with monomer conversion, the low dispersity as well as chain extension experiments showed the controlled nature of the polymerization. Photoinduced ATRP was also used to prepare homo- and block copolymer brushes and patterned brushes on surfaces by photoinduced surface-initiated ATRP (PSI-ATRP).