Recent Advances in Monocomponent Visible Light Photoinitiating Systems Based on Sulfonium Salts

During the last decades, multicomponent photoinitiating systems have been the focus of intense research efforts, especially for the design of visible light photoinitiating systems. Although highly reactive three-component and even four-component photoinitiating systems have been designed, the complexity to elaborate such mixtures has incited researchers to design monocomponent Type II photoinitiators. Using this approach, the photosensitizer and the radical/cation generator can be combined within a unique molecule, greatly simplifying the elaboration of the photocurable resins. In this field, sulfonium salts are remarkable photoinitiators but these structures lack absorption in the visible range. Over the years, various structural modifications have been carried out in order to redshift their absorptions in the visible region. In this work, an overview of the different sulfonium salts activable under visible light and reported to date is proposed.

Automated summary

In recent years, research efforts have focused on multicomponent photoinitiating systems, especially for the design of visible light photoinitiating systems. Monocomponent Type II photoinitiators have been designed to simplify the elaboration of photocurable resins. Sulfonium salts, as remarkable photoinitiators, lack absorption in the visible range, leading to various structural modifications for redshifting their absorptions. This work provides an overview of different sulfonium salts activable under visible light.