Photo-RDRP for everyone: Smartphone light-induced oxygen-tolerant reversible deactivation radical polymerization
Arman Moini Jazani, Caroline Rawls, Krzysztof Matyjaszewski
Abstract
Oxygen-tolerant reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) was carried out utilizing a smartphone flashlight. Well-controlled poly(oligo(ethylene oxide) monomethyl ether methacrylate) (POEOMA500) with relatively low dispersity (Đ = 1.16–1.35) was obtained employing dual catalysis atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) with CuBr2/tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (TPMA) and three different organic photocatalytic dyes (i.e. eosin Y (EY), fluorescein (FL), and riboflavin (RF)). The smartphone flashlight was also used for oxygen-tolerant photoinduced electron/energy transfer (PET) reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization with EY and dithioesters RAFT agents and photoiniferter (PI) RAFT polymerization with trithiocarbonate RAFT agent. The formation of crosslinked gels and facile measurement of gel points via recording the gelation process by in-built smartphone camera was also demonstrated.