Dyes and Leucodyes

A novel method of monitoring frontal polymerization propagation is presented. Using commercially available dyes that change colour upon coupling with free radicals, the propagating fronts of free radical polymerization reactions can be visualized and recorded using conventional digital imaging techniques. To demonstrate the utility of this method, we applied it in the frontal polymerization reactions of Trimethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TGDMA) and 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA), with Lupersol 231 (1,1-di(t-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcylohexane) as the initiator.

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