Fluorinated photoinitiators: Synthesis and photochemical behaviors

- Two fluorinated photoinitiators with carbamate 2959-IPDI-F and 2959-IPDI-F-HDDA have been synthesized and characterized.
- The fluorinated photoinitiators have higher reactivity and good anti-oxygen inhibition than Irgacure 2959 with or without PFEA.
- The fluorinated photoinitiators can migrate to top layer and the liquid-air interface in the gradient distribution, resulting in anti-oxygen inhibition and unique surface morphology. The migration was verified by XPS, SEM and EDS.

Two fluorinated photoinitiators, named as 2959-IPDI-F and 2959-IPDI-F-HDDA, were successfully synthesized and characterized. The photochemical behaviors of 2959-IPDI-F and 2959-IPDI-F-HDDA were investigated through the photolysis and polymerization of 1, 6- hexanediol diacrylate. The oxygen inhibition was obviously decreased due to the migration of fluorinated photoinitiator to the surface, which was proved through XPS, SEM-EDS. The higher concentration of photoinitiator at top layer accelerated the polymerization rate and reduced the oxygen sensitivity. A fluorine element enriched and folded surface could be developed only through simple photopolymerization initiated by fluorinated photoinitiators.