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The photochemical and photophysical properties of 4-(3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4-quinolinoyloxy)-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl free radical (QT) have been studied as a prefluorescent probe to monitor free radical processes in polymer films. This methodology takes advantage of the efficient intramolecular quenching of the fluorescence of quinoline by the paramagnetic nitroxide, which is disabled when TEMPO reacts with carbon-centered radicals. The fluorescence intensity−time profile observed in the thermal decomposition of 2,2‘-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films showed initial increments in the fluorescence with time, according to the trapping of carbon-centered radicals by QT in the polymer films. Comparison of data under nitrogen and oxygen saturation conditions suggests that oxygen trapping of the carbon-centered radicals at 90 °C is about 20 times faster than reaction with nitroxides. The activation energy for AIBN decomposition in PMMA was measured as 34.1 kcal/mol. Analysis of the fluorescence lifetime distribution establishes the involvement of both static and dynamic fluorescence quenching of the diamagnetic reaction product by AIBN.

A novel approach employing a prefluorescent paramagnetic sensor has been employed to determine the absolute kinetics for end-cap cleavage in TEMPO-capped polystyrene obtained by “living” free radical polymerization. This new methodology takes advantage of the suppression of coumarin fluorescence when this chromophore is tethered to a paramagnetic nitroxide. This coumarin−nitroxide is an excellent free radical trap for carbon-centered radicals; upon radical trapping, the resulting diamagnetic alkoxyamine is strongly fluorescent. Thus, fluorescence buildup is a direct measure of free radical formation and can be employed to quantify their formation or to study their kinetics. Studies of the temperature dependence of the process can be employed to determine activation parameters and bond dissociation energies. This simple technique can be employed to study the dynamics in the actual polymer systems, overcoming the frequent need to resort to model compounds.