Copper(II)bromide/2,4,6‐tri‐(2‐pyridyl)‐1,3,5‐triazine Complex for the Photo Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Acrylate and Methacrylate Monomers

Abstract

Abstract2,4,6‐tri‐(2‐pyridyl)‐1,3,5‐triazine (TPT) has been successfully utilized as an effective ligand for the photo atom transfer radical polymerization (photoATRP) of acrylate and methacrylate monomers in the absence of photoinitiators or photosensitizers. The UV light (λmax=365 nm, I=10 mW/cm2) assisted photoATRP of methyl methacrylate (MMA) yields poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with high monomer conversion (88.5 %), low PDI (1.21), and high end‐group fidelity using 100 ppm concentration of copper(II) bromide. The efficacy of the TPT ligand was further scrutinized by polymerizing different acrylate and methacrylate monomers, including methyl acrylate (MA), MMA, n‐butyl acrylate (n‐BA), n‐butyl methacrylate (n‐BMA), n‐benzyl methacrylate (n‐bMA), and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate. The kinetic study revealed the first‐order polymerization behavior of PMMA with an induction period of 2 h, suggesting the livingness of polymerization. The temporal control experiments were also performed, indicating the efficient activation and deactivation mechanism of the polymerization.