Versatile light-responsive organogels: Evaluation of their dye releasing and photoinitiation behaviors

Abstract

Light-responsive crosslinked structures were prepared by a straightforward quaternization strategy using chloride functional polystyrene copolymers and commercially available Michler-s ketone with varying feed ratios. Resulting organogels demonstrated excellent solvent absorption and their swelling characteristics were altered by UV-light irradiation. According to scanning electron microscope images, UV-illuminated samples showed an obvious photodecomposition, which enhanced their solvent uptake capacity with increase of UV exposure. Additionally, release behavior of eosin Y as a model compound was determined by UV-vis and fluorescence spectrometers. Achieved photoactive gels were also employed as the reusable heterogeneous initiators for photoinduced free-radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate. (c) 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1275-1282