Photopolymerization of vinyl monomers in presence of silicon- and germanium-containing peroxides

The authors have studied the patterns of the photopolymerization of vinyl monomers in presence of silicon- and germanium-containing peroxides of different structure in solution in benzene at 303 K for an intensity of incident light 1·2 × 1016hv/cm2·sec with the wavelength 320–400 nm. They have investigated the electron absorption spectra of the peroxide and their blends with the monomers. The rate of photopolymerization of the monomers in presence of the peroxides studied differs little from that initiated by organic peroxides. The photopolymerization of the monomers with organosilicon peroxides is subject to the patterns of radical polymerization. PMMA obtained by the photopolymerization of the monomer with trimethylcumylperoxysilane in thermal stability surpasses the polymer samples obtained with di-(tert-butyl) peroxide. The thermal stability of PMMA rises even further on polymerization in presence of trimethylcumylperoxysilane with additions of trichlorosilane, a good chain transmitter.