An overview of photopolymerization and its diverse applications

Abstract

Photopolymerization is an energy‐saving and environmentally friendly technology and has been widely applied and continuously developed in various fields since the mid‐20th century. Today, photopolymerization technology has become ubiquitous in every aspect of our lives. This review initially explains the principle of photopolymerization reactions, introducing the process of photopolymerization and the initiation mechanisms of photoinitiators. Then, this review focuses on the applications of photopolymerization technology in thiol‐based click reactions, photoinduced controlled/living polymerizations, 3D printing, ultraviolet (UV) nanoimprint lithography photoresist and hydrogels to demonstrate its irreplaceable role at present.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Lichtinduzierte Polymerisation katalysiert durch Kohlenstoff‐Nanomaterialien

“…Mit einem der ersten Patente zur Offenlegung von vernetzten Acrylaten im Jahr 1948 [92] beginnend haben Benzoinether, die seit vielen Jahren als Grundlage für die Entwicklung von neuen Photoinitiatoren dienten, [1,19,[93][94][95][96] eine lange Geschichte. Phosphinoxid-basierende Systeme haben auch eine große Beachtung erlangt, [4,94,95,[97][98][99][100][101][102] wie ihr vielfältiger Einsatz in der Praxis zeigt. [4,15,[93][94][95]99,[103][104][105][106] Allerdings machen Toxizitätsprobleme dieser Verbindungen ihren weiteren Einsatz in einigen Anwendungen fraglich.…”

“…Lichtunterstützte Polymerisationen sind von wachsendem Interesse für die Synthese von Polymeren und deren Anwendung auf verschiedenen Gebieten. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] Ausgewählte Beispiele beinhalten die Lithographie, [4,9,[20][21][22] den Druck von 2D, [4,15,23,24] 3D [4,6,8, oder 4D [27][28][29]53,54] Mustern, die holographische Aufzeichnung, [16,55,56] die Herstellung von Prothesen, [57] Dentalkompositen, [38,46,58] fälschungssicheren Materialien, [59] Farben, [4,60,61] die Oberflächenmodifizierung von verfestigten Überzügen [4,13,…”

Penta-Methine Cyanine IRTs: Enabling NIR or Visible Photoinduced Polymerization of Acrylate and Thiol–Ene for Preparation of Polychromatic and Color-Changing Polymers

“…PI and PIS can be categorized into ultraviolet (UV, below 400 nm), visible light (400–700 nm), and near-infrared (NIR, beyond 700 nm) types based on emission wavelength of the light source, , with UV type being the most widely used nowadays. However, UV-type PI and PIS have faced limitations due to drawbacks of UV sources such as high energy consumption, short lifetime, and release of ozone. ,,− In comparison, the PI and PIS of visible and NIR types have shown a tendency to replace UV types due to the specific characteristics offered by visible and NIR light sources.…”

“…There is a widely recognized notion that photopolymerization techniques are regarded as an environmentally friendly, precise, safe, and high-efficiency method for constructing macromolecular materials. − As a result, this technique has found extensive applications in dentistry, − 3D printing, − hydrogels, − and photoresists. − The photoinitiator (PI) and photoinitiating system (PIS) are crucial in determining the rate and degree of the photopolymerization as well as the properties of the resulting material, making them of particular importance.…”

“…PI and PIS can be categorized into ultraviolet (UV, below 400 nm), visible light (400–700 nm), and near-infrared (NIR, beyond 700 nm) types based on emission wavelength of the light source, , with UV type being the most widely used nowadays. However, UV-type PI and PIS have faced limitations due to drawbacks of UV sources such as high energy consumption, short lifetime, and release of ozone. ,,− In comparison, the PI and PIS of visible and NIR types have shown a tendency to replace UV types due to the specific characteristics offered by visible and NIR light sources. For instance, visible light sources, mainly light-emitting diodes (LED), offer advantages such as longer lifetime, lower energy consumption, and zero ozone release. − Similarly, NIR light sources also possess distinctive traits such as exceptional penetration, human safety, and extra heat. , Therefore, NIR PIS have gained significant attention in recent years, and the current reports mainly focus on those based on the NIR dyes ,− and upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). ,− In summary, it is necessary to research novel PI and PIS activated by visible or NIR light sources as traditional UV type have limited absorption in the visible light range, let alone NIR.…”