Photopolymerization and photodegradation of polymers after long-term UV light exposure

Editorial Board PCSS Journal; Taras Kavetskyy; Oksana Zubrytska; Oles Matskiv; Martin Stievenard; Ondrej Šauša; Helena Švajdlenková; Volodymyr Soloviev; Andrii Bielinskyi; Jolita Ostrauskaite; Arnold Kiv

doi:10.15330/pcss.26.4.718-732

Authors

Taras Kavetskyy Drohobych Ivan Franko State Pedagogical University, Drohobych, Ukraine; Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after K.D. Ushynsky, Odesa, Ukraine
Oksana Zubrytska Drohobych Ivan Franko State Pedagogical University, Drohobych, Ukraine
Oles Matskiv Drohobych Ivan Franko State Pedagogical University, Drohobych, Ukraine
Martin Stievenard Department of Chemistry, IUT de LILLE, Villeneuve d’Ascq, Lille, France
Ondrej Šauša Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Nuclear Chemistry, FNS, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
Helena Švajdlenková Department of Nuclear Chemistry, FNS, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; Polymer Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
Volodymyr Soloviev South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after K.D. Ushynsky, Odesa, Ukraine; Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University, Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine
Andrii Bielinskyi Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University, Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine; Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman, Kyiv, Ukraine
Jolita Ostrauskaite Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania
Arnold Kiv South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after K.D. Ushynsky, Odesa, Ukraine; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15330/pcss.26.4.718-732

Keywords:

photopolymerization, photodegradation, UV light, irradiation, polymers, free volume, properties, photostructural changes, computer modeling, recurrence analysis

Abstract

Over the past two decades, research into photostimulated processes in polymeric materials has gained new momentum, driven both by the growing demand for functional polymers with controllable properties and the need to understand their long-term stability under operational conditions. Current approaches combine the development of new materials, such as photopolymerization systems for 3D printing and biosensing, with a deep fundamental study of the mechanisms of photoinduced changes, including the role of free volume and the dynamics of molecular motions. UV light irradiation is known to affect materials, and possibly change their properties in certain conditions due to the existence of ‘subthreshold radiation effects’. Polymerization reactions may also need light exposure to happen, this is photopolymerization, and UV light exposure is a very good way to start these reactions. However, UV light can degrade the polymer if it is exposed to it for a prolonged period of time. In this case, the newly formed polymer will undergo changes in its network structure, which can change its properties. A combination of positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy in complementary with computer modeling using recurrence analysis, was used to obtain information on the network properties of polymer matrix based on acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) and vanillin dimethacrylate (VDM) with and without a photoinitiator (2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone) (DMPA) according to the proposed light on/off protocol in view of long-term UV light exposure.

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