PHOTOPOLYMERIZATION OF METHYL-METHACRYLATE WITH THE USE OF MORPHOLINE-CHLORINE CHARGE-TRANSFER COMPLEX AS THE PHOTOINITIATOR

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was kinetically studied un der photo condition using near UV visible light at 40 degrees C and em ploying morpholine (MOR) -chlorine (Cl-2) charge transfer (C-T) comple x as the photoinitiator. The rate of polymerization (R-p) was dependen t on morpholine/chlorine mole ratio; the 1 : 2 (MOR-Cl-2) C-T complex acted as the latent initiator complex, C, which underwent further comp lexation with the monomer molecules to give the actual initiator compl ex, I. Using 1 : 2 (MOR-Cl-2) C-T complex as the latent initiator, the initiator exponent evaluated for bulk photopolymerization of MMA was 0.071 and monomer exponent determined from studies of photopolymerizat ion in benzene diluted system was 1.10. Benzoquinone behaved as a stro ng inhibitor and the polymers tested positive for the incorporation of chlorine atom end groups. Polymerization followed a radical mechanism . Kinetic nonideality as revealed by low (much less than 0.50) initiat or exponent and a monomer exponent of greater than unity were explaine d in terms of primary radical termination effect. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.