Photopolymerization of 7,7′-coumarinyl polymethylene dicarboxylates: Fluorescence and kinetic study

All eight 7,7′-(4-methylcoumarinyl) polymethylene dicarboxylates (3, 4) containing terminal photoreactive coumarin chromophores show strong fluorescence intensities at room temperature in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and CH₂C1₂. After irradiation with 350 nm light for 2 h, the fluorescence characteristics of the dicarboxylates reveal their photopolymerization paths. On irradiation of the unsubstituted dicarboxylates (3) in DMSO, singlet excited state excimers are formed, leading to syn head-to-head coumarin dimer configuration. However, for all dicarboxylates in CH₂Cl₂, the dimerization of the coumarin chromophore proceeds via a triplet excited state in the presence of benzophenone to form the anti-configuration photoproducts. Further confirmations of the reaction mechanism are made by kinetic studies. At high concentration, photopolymerization of 7,7′-(4-methylcoumarinyl) polymethylene dicarboxylate (4c) obeys zero-order and first-order kinetics for coumarin chromophore and benzophenone, respectively. This is a powerful proof of the proposed mechanism of a triplet excited state reaction.