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Visible‐Light‐Driven MADIX Polymerisation via a Reusable, Low‐Cost, and Non‐Toxic Bismuth Oxide Photocatalyst
Author(s) -
Hakobyan Karen,
Gegenhuber Thomas,
McErlean Christopher S. P.,
Müllner Markus
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201811721
Subject(s) - chain transfer , photocatalysis , polymerization , xanthate , visible spectrum , polymer , raft , bismuth , copolymer , chemical engineering , monomer , chemistry , reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer polymerization , photochemistry , radical polymerization , materials science , catalysis , polymer chemistry , organic chemistry , optoelectronics , engineering
The continuous amalgamation of photocatalysis into existing reversible deactivation radical polymerisation (RDRP) processes has initiated a rapidly propagating area of polymer research in recent years. We introduce bismuth oxide (Bi 2 O 3 ) as a heterogeneous photocatalyst for polymerisations, operating at room temperature with visible light. We demonstrate formidable control over degenerative chain‐transfer polymerisations, such as macromolecular design by interchange of xanthate (MADIX) and reversible addition‐fragmentation chain‐transfer (RAFT) polymerisation. We achieved narrow molecular weight distributions and attribute the excellent temporal control of a photo‐induced electron transfer (PET) process. This methodology was employed to synthesise diblock copolymers combining differently activated monomers. The Bi 2 O 3 catalyst system has the additional benefits of low toxicity, reusability, low‐cost, and ease of removal from the reaction mixture.