Hypervalent Iodine (III)-Based Complexation for Chiroptical Supramolecular Glass, Deep Eutectic Solvent and Luminescent Switch

Hypervalent iodine(III) have widely been utilized for organic synthetic reagents. They are also recognized as positive charge-assisted, exceptionally robust biaxial halogen bond donors, while their potential in supramolecular materials is barely explored. This work reports a cyclic diaryliodonium ion as biaxial halogen bonding donor that displays remarkable binding affinity toward phenanthroline or acridine acceptors with chiral pendants. Biaxial halogen bonding enables chiroptical evolution in solution, allowing for rational control over supramolecular chirality. Leveraging their strong binding affinity, the halogen bonding complexes manifested amorphous properties and deep eutectic behavior in the solid state. Capitalizing on these attributes, this work achieves the successful preparation of supramolecular glasses and deep eutectic solvents. Additionally, halogen bonding appended light irradiation-triggered luminescence through a hydrogen atom transfer process, showing applications in anti-counterfeit and display.

Review on UV-Induced Cationic Frontal Polymerization of Epoxy Monomers

Ultraviolet (UV)-induced cationic frontal polymerization has emerged as a novel technique that allows rapid curing of various epoxy monomers upon UV irradiation within a few seconds. In the presence of a diaryliodonium salt photoinitiator together with a thermal radical initiator, the cationic ring opening polymerization of an epoxide monomer is auto-accelerated in the form of a self-propagating front upon UV irradiation. This hot propagating front generates the required enthalpy to sustain curing reaction throughout the resin formulation without further need for UV irradiation. This unique reaction pathway makes the cationic frontal polymerization a promising route towards the efficient curing of epoxy-based thermosetting resins and related composite structures. This review represents a comprehensive overview of the mechanism and progress of UV-induced cationic frontal polymerization of epoxy monomers that have been reported so far in literature. At the same time, this review covers important aspects on the frontal polymerization of various epoxide monomers involving the chemistry of the initiators, the effect of appropriate sensitizers, diluents and fillers.

UV-Induced Cationic Ring-Opening Polymerization of 2-Oxazolines for Hot Lithography

The cationic ring-opening polymerization (CROP) of 2-oxazolines gives polymers with unique characteristics arising from its polyamide backbones and structural versatility. Up to now, poly(2-oxazoline)s were obtained by classical thermal polymerization methods not aiming for application in bulk curing of structural polymers. We introduce the cationic photopolymerization of 2-oxazolines at elevated temperatures for the direct UV-induced curing of materials with exclusive chemical and structural particularities. After efficient photoinitiation via onium salt photoacid generators (PAGs), the immanent low-rate propagation is crucially promoted by thermal energy input to the ring-opening reaction. In simultaneous thermal analysis (STA), photo-DSC, and (thermo)mechanical analyses we investigated the UV-induced CROP of 2-oxazolines in a temperature range of 100-140 °C and show the exceptional potential of the introduced photopolymers. Furthermore, we applied the photopolymerizable system in Hot Lithography, a stereolithography-based 3D printing technology at elevated temperatures.

Photochemistry with Cyanines in the Near Infrared: A Step to Chemistry 4.0 Technologies

Cyanines covering the absorption in the near infrared (NIR) are attractive for distinct applications. They can interact either with lasers exhibiting line-shaped focus emitting at both 808 and 980 nm or bright high intensity NIR-LEDs with 805 nm emission, respectively. This is drawing attention to Industry 4.0 applications. The major deactivation occurs through a non-radiative process resulting in the release of heat into the surrounding, although a small fraction of radiative deactivation also takes place. Most of these NIR-sensitive systems possess an internal activation barrier to react in a photonic process with initiators resulting in the generation of reactive radicals and acidic cations. Thus, the heat released by the NIR absorber helps to bring the system, consisting of an NIR sensitizer and initiator, above such internal barriers. Molecular design strategies making these systems more compatible with distinct applications in a certain oleophilic surrounding are considered as a big challenge. This includes variations of the molecular pattern and counter ions derived from super acids exhibiting low coordinating properties. Further discussion focusses on the use of such systems in Chemistry 4.0 related applications. Intelligent software tools help to improve and optimize these systems combining chemistry, engineering based on high-throughput formulation screening (HTFS) technologies, and machine learning algorithms to open up novel solutions in material sciences.

Taming the Cationic Beast: Novel Developments in the Synthesis and Application of Weakly Coordinating Anions

This Review gives a comprehensive overview of the most topical weakly coordinating anions (WCAs) and contains information on WCA design, stability, and applications. As an update to the 2004 review, developments in common classes of WCA are included. Methods for the incorporation of WCAs into a given system are discussed and advice given on how to best choose a method for the introduction of a particular WCA. A series of starting materials for a large number of WCA precursors and references are tabulated as a useful resource when looking for procedures to prepare WCAs. Furthermore, a collection of scales that allow the performance of a WCA, or its underlying Lewis acid, to be judged is collated with some advice on how to use them. The examples chosen to illustrate WCA developments are taken from a broad selection of topics where WCAs play a role. In addition a section focusing on transition metal and catalysis applications as well as supporting electrolytes is also included.

Novel photoacid generators for cationic photopolymerization

Novel cationic photoinitiators based on the non-nucleophilic [Al(OC(CF₃)₃)₄]⁻ anion were prepared and their high efficiency was presented in comparison to benchmark systems.

Recent Developments of Versatile Photoinitiating Systems for Cationic Ring Opening Polymerization Operating at Any Wavelengths and under Low Light Intensity Sources

Photoinitiators (PI) or photoinitiating systems (PIS) usable in light induced cationic polymerization (CP) and free radical promoted cationic polymerization (FRPCP) reactions (more specifically for cationic ring opening polymerization (ROP)) together with the involved mechanisms are briefly reviewed. The recent developments of novel two- and three-component PISs for CP and FRPCP upon exposure to low intensity blue to red lights is emphasized in details. Examples of such reactions under various experimental conditions are provided.

Red-light-induced cationic photopolymerization: perylene derivatives as efficient photoinitiators

Nine different perylene derivatives are prepared and their ability to initiate, when combined with an iodonium salt (and optionally N-vinylcarbazole), a ring-opening cationic photopolymerization of epoxides under very soft halogen lamp irradiation is investigated. One of them is particularly efficient under a red laser diode exposure at 635 nm and belongs now to the very few systems available at this wavelength. The photochemical mechanisms are studied by steady-state photolysis, electron spin resonance spin trapping, fluorescence, cyclic voltammetry, and laser flash photolysis techniques.

New core-pyrene π structure organophotocatalysts usable as highly efficient photoinitiators

Eleven di- and trifunctional compounds based on a core-pyrene π structure (Co_Py) were synthesized and investigated for the formation of free radicals. The application of two- and three-component photoinitiating systems (different Co_Pys with the addition of iodonium or sulfonium salts, alkyl halide or amine) was investigated in detail for cationic and radical photopolymerization reactions under near-UV-vis light. The proposed compounds can behave as new photocatalysts. Successful results in terms of rates of polymerization and final conversions were obtained. The strong MO coupling between the six different cores and the pyrene moiety was studied by DFT calculations. The different chemical intermediates are characterized by ESR and laser flash photolysis experiments. The mechanisms involved in the initiation step are discussed, and relationships between the core structure, the Co_Py absorption property, and the polymerization ability are tentatively proposed.

Pentafluorophenyl Transfer: A New Group-Transfer Reaction in Organoborate Salts

[reaction: see text] Irradiation of isoquinolinium hydroxytris(pentafluorophenyl)borate, 1, and phenanthridium hydroxytris(pentafluorophenyl)borate, 2, in either CH2Cl2 or CH3CN resulted in C6F5 transfer to the isoquinolinium and phenanthridium cations, generating 2-methyl-1-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenyl)-1,2-dihydroisoquinoline, 3, and 2-methyl-1-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorophenyl)-1,2-dihydrophenanthridine, 4, respectively. In addition, photogeneration of H2O x B(C6F5)3 resulted from 1. Photogeneration of C6F5-C6F4H from HO-B(C6F5)3(-) and of C6H5-C6F4H from C6H5-B(C6F5)3(-) was discovered.

Solvent-Ligated Manganese(II) Complexes for the Homopolymerization of Isobutene and the Copolymerization of Isobutene and Isoprene

Polyisobutenes with a high content of terminal olefinic groups can be synthesized by using manganese(II) initiators in homogeneous solution. These easily accessible complexes initiate the polymerization at room temperature and above, and afford highly reactive, gel-free polyisobutenes with high viscosities. Furthermore, the initiators were successfully used for the copolymerization of isobutene with isoprene. The high activities of the Mn(II) initiators seem to be related to their weakly coordinating nitrile ligands, which are easily displaced by substrate molecules. Replacing the nitrile ligands by other more strongly coordinating ligands such as water reduces the initiator activity significantly. The Mn(II) initiators are surprisingly resistant to temperature.