Advances in the design of photoinitiators, photosensitizers and monomers for photoinitiated cationic polymerization

This paper presents the results of recent progress made in this laboratory in the area of photoinitiated cationic polymerization. A novel class of dialkylphenacylsulfonium salt cationic photoinitiators was synthesized and the use of these photoinitiators in the photopolymerization of several different types of vinyl and heterocyclic monomers and oligomers investigated. The development of several new types of monomeric and polymeric photosensitizers applicable to all types of onium salt photoinitiators has been carried out. Lastly, the synthesis and polymerizations of several novel types of monomers and reactive multifunctional oligomers that display high reactivity in photoinitiated cationic polymerization are described.