PHOTOPOLYMERIZATION OF METHYL-METHACRYLATE WITH PRIMARY ARYLSILANES AND ALKYLSILANES

The bulk photopolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with primary arylsilane (e,g., phenylsilane) and various primary alkylsilanes (e.g ., benzylsilane, 3-phenoxyphenyl-1-silabutane, 3-naphthyl-1-silabutane , and 3-chlorophenyl-1-silabutane) was performed to produce poly(MMA)s containing the corresponding silyl moiety as an end group. It was fou nd for the phenylsilane that while the polymerization yields increased and then decreased with a turning point at the molar ratio of MMA:sil ane=10:1 as the relative silane concentration increases, the polymer m olecular weights decreased, and the TGA residue yields and the relativ e intensities of SiH IR stretching bands increased with increment of m olar ratio of silane over MMA. The photopolymerization yield of MMA wi th the arylsilane was found to be higher than those with the alkylsila nes and without the silanes. Thus, the silanes seemed to significantly influence on the photopolymerizatiofi as both chain initiation and ch ain transfer agents.