Unique cationic photoinitiator: diaryl iodonium salts


Diphenyliodonium salts are among the most typical representatives of cationic photoinitiator iodonium salts. As a unique type of cationic photoinitiator, they undergo complex photolysis reactions upon exposure to ultraviolet or visible light, simultaneously generating superacids and active free radicals. This enables them to initiate both cationic polymerization and radical polymerization. Such dual-initiation capability endows diphenyliodonium salts with broad application prospects in the field of polymer synthesis.

I. Structure and Properties

The photoinduced structure of diaryliodonium salts can be generally represented as Ar₂I⁺X⁻, where:

Ar: Represents an aryl group, such as the phenyl or naphthyl group. The structure of the aryl group and the nature of its substituents significantly influence the photoinitiating performance of diaryliodonium salts.

I+: The cationic moiety formed by the combination of iodide ions and aryl groups is crucial for photolysis to generate active centers.

X⁻: Represents an anion, such as BF₄⁻, PF₆⁻, AsF₆⁻, SbF₆⁻, and others. The choice of anion can also affect the photoinitiation efficiency and stability of diaryliodonium salts.

In general, diaryl iodonium salts exhibit good solubility and thermal stability, enabling them to perform exceptionally well in a variety of chemical reactions and applications.

II. Photolysis Reaction Mechanism

When diaryl iodonium salts are irradiated with ultraviolet or visible light, they undergo complex photolytic reactions. These photolytic reactions involve both homolytic and heterolytic mechanisms simultaneously, generating superacids and active free radicals. The superacids provide the necessary acidic environment for cationic polymerization, while the active free radicals can initiate radical polymerization. This dual-initiation capability gives diaryl iodonium salts a unique advantage in photo-polymerization reactions.

1. Homolytic Cleavage

During homolytic cleavage, the iodine-carbon bond (I-C) in diaryliodonium salts is broken by light energy, leading to homolytic fission. The pair of electrons from the I-C bond is equally distributed between the iodine atom and the carbon atom, forming an iodine radical and an aryl carbon radical. These radicals are typically highly reactive and can rapidly participate in free-radical polymerization reactions, such as free-radical addition or chain-growth polymerization.

2. Heterolytic Cleavage

Meanwhile, diaryliodonium salts can also undergo heterolytic cleavage, in which the iodide ion (I^-) separates from the cationic moiety. The cationic moiety—typically an aryl cation—can form a superacid (a Brønsted acid) in the presence of strong anions such as hexafluorophosphate. Such superacids not only exhibit extremely high acidity but can also serve as initiators for cationic polymerization, thereby promoting the occurrence of cationic polymerization reactions.

3. The Role of Superacids

During photolysis, the cationic moiety of diaryliodonium salts—typically an aryl cation—when combined with a strong anion (such as the hexafluorophosphate anion), can form a superacid. This superacid exhibits an exceptionally high acidity and is capable of activating the cationic active centers within monomer molecules, thereby initiating cationic polymerization reactions. Cationic polymerization typically involves the stepwise addition of monomer molecules to the cationic active center, ultimately leading to the formation of polymeric chains.

4. The Role of Active Free Radicals

Meanwhile, diaryliodonium salts also generate active free radicals during photolysis. These free radicals are typically formed via homolytic cleavage of the iodine-carbon bond. They exhibit high reactivity and can rapidly react with monomer molecules, thereby initiating free-radical polymerization. Free-radical polymerization is a chain-growth process in which free radicals serve as active centers, continuously adding monomer molecules until they are consumed by terminating agents or undergo chain-transfer reactions.

5. The advantages of dual triggering

The ability of diaryliodonium salts to simultaneously initiate both cationic and free-radical polymerization confers numerous advantages to light-curing technologies. First, it allows the simultaneous harnessing of the benefits of both polymerization mechanisms within a single system, enabling the preparation of materials with more complex structures and enhanced properties. Second, this dual-initiation mechanism may contribute to higher polymerization rates and more complete curing, thereby improving the overall performance of the material. Finally, by adjusting the type and dosage of the photoinitiator, it is possible to precisely control the ratio and rate of the two polymerization reactions, thus achieving fine-tuned regulation of the material’s properties.

III. Summary

The photolysis of diaryl iodonium salts may also involve other complex reaction pathways, such as rearrangement reactions and electron-transfer reactions. The existence of these reaction pathways makes the photolysis of diaryl iodonium salts even more intricate and diverse. Due to this complexity, the photolysis of diaryl iodonium salts poses significant challenges both in research and in practical applications.

However, it is precisely this complexity that endows diaryliodonium salts with unique advantages as photoinitiators, giving them broad application prospects in fields such as polymer synthesis and materials science. Through continuous synthesis and improvement, these photoinitiators hold great promise for playing an even greater role in a variety of areas, including new materials, electronics, and printing.

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