α-Trifluoromethylated Quinolines as Safe and Storable PET-Donor for Radical Polymerizations

In the quest for powerful, safe, and storable photoinduced-electron transfer (PET) donors, the attention is turned to the α-trihalomethylated amine moiety that is not studied in the context of PET-reductants. The thermal and photophysical properties of α-trifluoromethylated quinolines are thus studied and their reducing abilities evaluated as initiators of polymerization reactions. Polymers of high molecular weights are obtained through a radical polymerization process and the PET-donor can be stored within the monomer for several months without losing its efficiency. Mechanistic investigations, combining spectroscopic analysis and theoretical calculations, confirm the mode of activation of these electron donors and the generation of radical intermediates through single electron transfer.