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Updated: Sep 22, 2025

Photogeneration of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: Application in Photoinduced Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization
Published on: November 29, 2018
Photoexcitation of Grubbs' Second-Generation Catalyst Initiates Frontal Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization
Katherine J Stawiasz1,2, Justine E Paul3,2, Kevin J Schwarz1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
Abstract:
In this work, a simple method is reported for control over initiation in frontal ring-opening metathesis polymerization (FROMP). This noncontact approach uses 375 nm light to excite Grubbs' second-generation catalyst in the presence of a phosphite inhibitor. Photoinitiated FROMP of dicylcopentadiene (DCPD) displays a similar cure profile to that of its thermally initiated counterpart, yielding a robust polymer with high glass transition temperature. Furthermore, this system is applied to enhance reaction rates in conventional ring-closing metathesis reactions.
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