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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Photogeneration of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: Application in Photoinduced Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization
Published on: November 29, 2018
White-Light-Mediated Imidazole Catalysis Toward Terpene-Based Thermosets
Chenxi Zhang1, Sandra Olivero1, Alice Mija1
1Institut De Chimie de Nice, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France.
Abstract:
Light-mediated curing of terpene-derived polymers generally depends on UV irradiation and photoinitiators. We report herein that environmentally friendly limonene- and carvone-derived diepoxides cure with glutaric anhydride under white light through imidazole-mediated catalysis, without conventional photoinitiators, to afford fully bio-based thermosets. 1H NMR reveals a switch in ring-opening selectivity relative to thermal curing, from predominant exo-epoxide opening under heating to preferential endo-epoxide activation under white light, evidencing a distinct light-responsive pathway. The resulting novel thermosets are colorless, transparent and exhibit enhanced thermomechanical properties over thermally cured counterparts, with a Tg of 110°C, tensile strength of 42 MPa, and strain at break of 15%. This strategy is underexplored in terpene-derived epoxy-anhydride systems and may broaden the scope of terpene-based thermoset networks.
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