Silicon nanosheets as co-initiators for diaryliodonium induced radical and cationic polymerization

A system of silicon nanosheets and a diaryliodonium salt was found to initiate cationic and radical polymerizations. The polymerization relies on a syngergistic interaction between the silicon nanomaterial and the diaryliodonium salt, whereby the silicon nanomaterial acts as a co-initiator, inducing the decomposition of the diaryliodonium salt. The decomposition products, in turn, are able to initiate both cationic and radical polymerizations thereby enabling a mild and straightforward reaction procedure to obtain a variety of polymer/nanomaterial composites with cationically and radically polymerizable monomers. Most importantly, this work highlights the potential of using silicon nanomaterials' unique properties not just for physical applications, but also in chemical applications.