Photopolymerization without Photoinitiator of Bismaleimide-Containing Oligo(oxypropylene)s: Effect of Oligoethers Chain Length

Self-Photopolymerization of Poly(disulfide) Oligomers

Base catalyst and oxidant are usually necessary to promote the polymerization of poly(disulfide) oligomers through oxidative coupling of the terminal SH groups into S-S bonds. In this study, we prove that self-polymerization of bifunctional (disulfide) oligomer films can take place in a matter of minutes under UVC irradiation (254 nm, 10.5 mW cm-2). The resulting insoluble polymer is characterized using solid-state NMR, 1H T2 NMR relaxation measurements, thermal analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and proves to have similar composition as a model poly(disulfide) prepared under oxidative conditions, but distinct physical properties. These differences are explained by a change in polymer architecture due to a higher ratio of cyclization relative to linear polymerization. Homolytic photocleavage of internal S-S bonds creates thiyl groups close to each other, driving an increased kinetic feasibility for the cyclization reaction by radical coupling. The subsequent formation of mechanically interlocked macrocycles (polycatenane network) is proposed to account for film properties analogous to those of a cross-linked polymer.

Quantum chain reaction of tethered diarylcyclopropenones in the solid state and their distance-dependence in solution reveal a Dexter S₂-S₂ energy-transfer mechanism

When promoted to their second singlet excited state (S2) in benzene, alkyl-linked dimers of diarylcyclopropenone undergo a photodecarbonylation reaction with quantum yields varying from Φ = 0.7 to 1.14. Quantum yields greater than 1.0 in solution rely on an adiabatic reaction along the S2 energy surface where the immediately formed excited-state product transfers energy to the unreacted molecule in the dimer to generate a second excited state. By determination of the quantum yields of decarbonylation for the linked diarylcyclopropenones with linkers of various lengths it was shown that S2 → S2 energy transfer is limited to distances shorter than ca. 6 Å. Notably, the quantum chain reaction occurs with similar efficiency for all the linked diarylcyclopropenones dimers in the solid state.