Synthesis and testing of ZnO nanoparticles for photo-initiation: experimental observation of two different non-migration initiators for bulk polymerization

The migration and transport of polymerization initiators are problematic for commercially used polymerization procedures. For example, UV printing of packaging generates products with potentially harmful components that come in contact with food. Enlarging the size of the initiator is the only way to prevent contamination, e.g., by gas phase transport. In this manuscript, the synthesis and advanced and full analyses of novel nanoparticle-based types of non-migration, fragmenting and non-fragmenting photo-initiators will be presented in detail. This study introduces non-fragmenting/Norrish type II and fragmenting/Norrish type I ZnO nanoparticle-based initiators and compares them with two commercial products, a Norrish type I initiator and a Norrish type II initiator. Therefore, inter alia, the recently developed analysis involves examining the solidification by UV-vis and the double bond content by Raman. Irradiation is performed using absolute and spectrally calibrated xenon flash lights. A novel procedure for absolute and spectral calibration of such light sources is also presented. The non-optimized Norrish type II particle-based initiator is already many times faster than benzophenone, which is a molecular initiator of the same non-fragmenting type. This experimentally observed difference in reactive particle-based systems without co-initiators is unexpected. Co-initiators are normally an additional molecular species, which leads to migration problems. The discovery of significant initiation potential resulting in a very well-dispersed organic-inorganic hybrid material suggests a new field of research opportunities at the interface of physical chemistry, polymer chemistry and engineering science, with enormous value for human health.