Photoinduced anionic polymerization of cyanoacrylates using substituted pyridine pentacarbonyl complexes of tungsten or chromium

Photoinduced polymerization of cyanoacrylate monomers using a novel class of photoinitiators comprising Group VI metal carbonyl pyridine complexes is reported. Irradiation of a solution containing the monomer and photoinitiator, with visible light (436 nm), leads to a rapid exothermic polymerization reaction which is readily followed by calorimetric techniques. The photoinduced reaction exhibits the features expected of conventional amine initiated polymerization of cyanoacrylates consistent with photo-released pyridine acting as the initiating species.