Magnetic and spin effects in the photoinitiation of polymerization

Abstract

Application of a moderate external magnetic field increases the efficiency of triplet photoinitiators of polymerization. The reasons for this observation are briefly outlined. Such well-documented magnetic and spin effects as the magnetic isotope effect (MIE) and chemically induced dynamic nuclear and electron polarization (CIDNP and CIDEP) have been observed under the photolysis of photoinitiators. CIDEP results are emphasized. The study of CIDEP under the photolysis of initiators allows the detection and identification of free radicals of initiators and the spin multiplicity of the reacting photoinitiator (triplet or singlet). The transfer of the spin polarization of the initiator free radical to monomers is a promising technique for following radical reaction pathways. The results of a CIDEP study of the sensitized decomposition of phosphine oxide photoinitiators are presented.