We report the latent production of free radicals from energy stored in a redox potential through a 2e–/1H+ transfer process, analogous to energy harvesting in photosynthesis, using visible-light organic photoredox catalysis (photocatalysis) of methylene blue chromophore with a sacrificial sterically hindered amine reductant and an onium salt oxidant. This enables light-initiated free-radical polymerization to continue over extended time intervals (hours) in the dark after brief (seconds) low-intensity illumination and beyond the spatial reach of light by diffusion of the metastable leuco-methylene blue photoproduct. The present organic photoredox catalysis system functions via a 2e–/1H+ shuttle mechanism, as opposed to the 1e– transfer process typical of organometallic-based and conventional organic multicomponent photoinitiator formulations. This prevents immediate formation of open-shell (radical) intermediates from the amine upon light absorption and enables the “storage” of light-energy without spontaneous initiation of the polymerization. Latent energy release and radical production are then controlled by the subsequent light-independent reaction (analogous to the Calvin cycle) between leuco-methylene blue and the onium salt oxidant that is responsible for regeneration of the organic methylene blue photocatalyst. This robust approach for photocatalysis-based energy harvesting and extended release in the dark enables temporally controlled redox initiation of polymer syntheses under low-intensity short exposure conditions and permits visible-light-mediated synthesis of polymers at least 1 order of magnitude thicker than achievable with conventional photoinitiated formulations and irradiation regimes.

We couple UV−vis and FT−NIR spectroscopy for the real-time monitoring of polymerization reactions, allowing the simultaneous tracking of the rates of light absorption and initiator/monomer consumption, from which dynamic and previously difficult-to-measure parameters are calculated: quantum yields of initiator consumption, initiation and polymerization, photosensitivity, and residual content of leachable chromophore. Estimating these parameters from one set of experiments is not possible with any other probing technique. We demonstrate the potential of this technique using the free radical initiating system including camphorquinone as photoreducible chromophore and amines as reductants for the visible-light-triggered bulk polymerization of methacrylate monomers, important for dental and biomaterials. Photoinitiation by camphorquinone/amine pairs in two dimethacrylates serves to show the importance of obtaining quantum yields in the polymerizing medium instead of using inert solvents. Additionally, the often-intricate interactions between initiation reactions and the developing macromolecular architectures can be elucidated. For instance, we present the quantification of fluctuations in quantum yields as a function of polymerization. This robust analytical tool with up to millisecond resolution opens opportunities in gaining mechanistic insights from the myriad of macromolecular syntheses available to date.

No abstract