Photopolymerization reactions initiated by copper (II)-amino acid chelates: investigation of the initiating species by flash photolysis. I

Flash photolysis of copper (II)-bis(amino acid) complexes (amino acids: glutamic acid, serine, or valine) in deaerated aqueous solution produces transient species having absorption maxima at around 350 nm. The transient species are identified as copper (II)-alkyl complexes. In the case of Cu(valine)2 at pH > 6.5 formation of Cu(II)-alkyl complex is not observed; this is interpreted to be due to the presence of two bulky methyl groups of the coordinated valine ligand, which hinders the rearrangement. Pseudo-first-order rate constants for the decay of the transients are determined at different pH with varying concentration of amino acid ligand. The free-radical species of the complexes responsible for the initiation of the vinyl polymerization reactions are identified as Cu(I)-coordinated amino acid radicals which are formed in the primary photochemical reaction of the complex. A mechanism for the secondary reactions involving the initiating species consistent with the nature of the product formed and the pH dependence of the decay of the transients is proposed