Photoinitiated Polymerization with Visible Lasers

Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green OH

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this work is to study chemical reactions in, and the physical barriers that microcapsules establish. The PI's goal is to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of microencapsulation in photoprocesses. Basic studies of the transport of reagents and intermediates from a microcapsule to the surrounding environment and vice versa, are proposed. The experiments will prioritized as follows: Initially the research will polystyrene and onium salts. The objective will be to encapsulate photoreactive compounds that produce catalysts and cause their decomposition in the capsule. Experiments are proposed to follow reagent escape from the capsule or its reaction with the capsule walls. Preliminary experiments suggest this will be a fruitful subject. Though more details will emerge as the experiments proceed. Depending on the initial results, the project shall proceed to the electron transfer experiments, to the experiments to determine migration of reagents across capsular walls and to capsule/capsule and capsule/bead experiments. %%% This award is in the area of novel, environmentally-friendly processes for forming polymers via photopolymerization, and is relevant to technologically important materials such as photoresists and optical-fiber coatings.