Photogeneration of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: Application in Photoinduced Ring-Opening Metathesis PolymerizationJulien Pinaud 1, Emeline Placet 1, Patrick Lacroix-Desmazes 1, Thi Kim Hoang Trinh 2,3, Jean Pierre Malval 2,3, Abraham Chemtob 2,3, Loïc Pichavant 4, Valérie Héroguez 4
1ICGM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, 2Institut de Science des Matériaux de Mulhouse (IS2M UMR 7361 CNRS), Université de Haute-Alsace, 3Université de Strasbourg, 4Laboratoire de Chimie des Polymères Organiques (LCPO UMR 5629 ENSCBP), Université de Bordeaux
We describe a protocol to photogenerate N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) by UV irradiation of a 2-isopropylthioxanthone/imidazolium tetraphenylborate salt system. Methods to characterize the photoreleased NHC and elucidate the photochemical mechanism are proposed. The protocols for ring-opening metathesis photopolymerization in solution and miniemulsion illustrate the potential of this 2-component NHC photogenerating system.