Rapid solid‐state photopolymerization of octadecyl acrylate: low shrinkage and insensitivity to oxygen

Abstract Mobility restrictions in solid‐state photopolymerization give extremely poor polymerization kinetics, but octadecyl acrylate can be rapidly photopolymerized in the solid state. The XRD, real‐time Fourier transform IR and DSC analyses prove that the hexagonal packing of monomer molecules is favorable for UV‐initiated solid‐state polymerization, and crystalline long alkyl chains of monomers were preserved as the crystalline long alkyl side‐chains of polymers. More importantly, octadecyl acrylate provides a chance to investigate the shrinkage and oxygen inhibition of UV‐induced solid‐state polymerization. This novel radical‐mediated solid‐state photopolymerization is insensitive to oxygen and lowers the volume shrinkage (1.48%). © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry