Photopolymerization kinetics of tributylmethylammonium-based (meth)acrylate ionic liquids and the effect of water

Polymerizable ionic liquids were synthesized from the neutralization reaction between tributylmethylammonium hydroxide and methacrylic or acrylic acid, and their photopolymerization kinetics have been determined. The acrylate monomer polymerization rate exhibited a profound dependence on the water content as follows: the monomer viscosity was a strong function of the water content, increasing substantially as the water content increased from less than 5 to 30%. For the tributylmethylammonium acrylate with less than 5% water, the viscosity was 2000 times greater than that of butyl acrylate. The high viscosity is proposed to reduce both the propagation and termination steps. Both monomers exhibited an increase in rate with temperature. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.