Visible-Light-Controlled Living Radical Polymerization from a Trithiocarbonate Iniferter Mediated by an Organic Photoredox Catalyst

Abstract

Living radical polymerization of acrylates and acrylamides from trithiocarbonate iniferters using a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulb and 10-phenylphenothiazine as an organic photoredox catalyst is reported. With this system, chain growth can be efficiently switched between "on" and "off" in response to visible light. Polymer molar masses increase linearly with conversion, and narrow molar mass distributions are obtained. The excellent fidelity of the trithiocarbonate-iniferter enables the preparation of triblock copolymers from macro-iniferters under the same visible-light mediated protocol, using UV light without a photoredox catalyst or under traditional thermally induced RAFT conditions. We expect that the simplicity and efficiency of this metal-free, visible-light-mediated polymerization will enable the synthesis and modification of a range of materials under mild conditions.