Photoexcitation of Grubbs' Second-Generation Catalyst Initiates Frontal Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization

ACS Macro Lett. 2020 Nov 17;9(11):1563-1568. doi: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00486. Epub 2020 Oct 20.

Abstract

In this work, a simple method is reported for control over initiation in frontal ring-opening metathesis polymerization (FROMP). This noncontact approach uses 375 nm light to excite Grubbs' second-generation catalyst in the presence of a phosphite inhibitor. Photoinitiated FROMP of dicylcopentadiene (DCPD) displays a similar cure profile to that of its thermally initiated counterpart, yielding a robust polymer with high glass transition temperature. Furthermore, this system is applied to enhance reaction rates in conventional ring-closing metathesis reactions.