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Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, Vol.37, No.16, 3427-3440, 1999
The synthesis and cationic photopolymerization of monomers based on dicyclopentadiene
Several new epoxide monomers based on dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) were prepared using straightforward reaction chemistry. Those monomer-bearing groups in addition to the epoxy moiety, which can stabilize free radicals, display a pronounced acceleration of the rate of cationic ring-opening polymerization in the presence of diaryliodonium salt photoinitiators. Mechanistic studies conducted with the aid of model compounds have shown that the apparent rate acceleration is due to the free radical chain-induced decomposition of the photoinitiator. One of the chain carriers in this reaction involves a monomer-derived free radical. Also prepared was dicyclopentadiene monomer (V) bearing polymerizable epoxide and 1-propenyl ether groups in the same molecule. The functional groups in V appear to undergo independent vinyl and epoxide ring-opening polymerization.
Keywords:dicyclopentadiene;hybrid epoxy monomers;free radical-induced decomposition;photoinitiated cationic polymerization;diaryliodonium salts