ZnO as photocatalyst for photoinduced electron transfer–reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer of methyl methacrylate.

In this article, photoinduced electron transfer–reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (PET‐RAFT) polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was investigated at moderate temperature in N,N‐dimethylformamide with ZnO as photocatalyst. The polymerization has a living characteristic: a linear increase in molecular weight (Mn,GPC), good agreement between experimental (Mn,GPC) and theoretical molecular weights (Mn,th), a decrease in molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) with increasing monomer conversion, and chain extension. The PET‐RAFT polymerization of MMA can be regulated by switching "ON" and "OFF" the light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]