STUDIES ON THE PHOTOPOLYMERIZATION OF ACRYLONITRILE INITIATED BY BENZOPHENONE-ANILINE SYSTEM

The photopolymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by benzophenone-aniline system was studied under the irradiation at 365 nm. From the kinetic data measured in dimethylforma- mide the kinetic equation was presented as R_p∞[benzophenone]~(0.32) [aniline]~(0.27) [acryloni- trile]~(1.1). The rate of polymerization for different amines was in the following sequence, i.e. N, N-dimethylanilineN-methylanilineaniline. The influence of the polarity of solvent was investigated, from which we proposed that the proton transfer took place in the intimate radical-ion pair state of the exciplex between benzophenone and aniline. Among the two kinds of radicals produced the anilino radical is responsible for the initiation.