POS3-0750
Design of a Photothermal Conversion Optical System and Evaluation of Photothermal Polymerization Behavior
Topic
S3. Processing / Fabrications (Emerging Horizons in Polymer Processing and Fabrication)
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Hae Jung SON
Boseok KANG
Presenter(s)
Tomoki Watanabe (Laboratory for Chemistry and Life Science, Institute of Integrated Research, Institute of Science Tokyo)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Polymeric materials are widely utilized owing to their flexibility and versatile molecular designability. Recently, increasing attention has been directed toward the use of external fields to induce novel functions and structures in polymeric materials. External fields drive systems away from equilibrium, generating temperature and concentration gradients that induce directional mass transport and polymerization behavior distinct from that observed in homogeneous reaction environments.
Recently, we demonstrated that spatially selective light irradiation induces anisotropic molecular diffusion as a non-equilibrium transport process, resulting in unique polymerization behavior, including the efficient formation of high-molecular-weight polymers1,2). Among various approaches for constructing non-equilibrium reaction fields, photothermal conversion has attracted considerable attention because it generates localized temperature gradients by converting light energy into heat. Although photothermal conversion has recently been applied to polymerization processes3,4), its influence on polymerization behavior remains poorly understood.
In this study, we developed an experimental platform for photothermal polymerization and investigated the thermal polymerization of acrylate monomers driven by photothermal conversion. The temperature increase induced by photothermal conversion was evaluated, and the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of the resulting polymers were analyzed to clarify the effects of photothermally generated reaction fields on polymerization behavior.
References
1) K. Hisano, A. Shishido, et al., Sci. Adv., 2017, 3, e1701610.
2) A. Shishido et al. Macromolecules 2024, 57, 7430.
3) N. S. Enikolopyan et al., Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 1972, 204, 1180.
4) N. R. Sottos et al., Nature 2024, 634, 85.
Recently, we demonstrated that spatially selective light irradiation induces anisotropic molecular diffusion as a non-equilibrium transport process, resulting in unique polymerization behavior, including the efficient formation of high-molecular-weight polymers1,2). Among various approaches for constructing non-equilibrium reaction fields, photothermal conversion has attracted considerable attention because it generates localized temperature gradients by converting light energy into heat. Although photothermal conversion has recently been applied to polymerization processes3,4), its influence on polymerization behavior remains poorly understood.
In this study, we developed an experimental platform for photothermal polymerization and investigated the thermal polymerization of acrylate monomers driven by photothermal conversion. The temperature increase induced by photothermal conversion was evaluated, and the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of the resulting polymers were analyzed to clarify the effects of photothermally generated reaction fields on polymerization behavior.
References
1) K. Hisano, A. Shishido, et al., Sci. Adv., 2017, 3, e1701610.
2) A. Shishido et al. Macromolecules 2024, 57, 7430.
3) N. S. Enikolopyan et al., Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 1972, 204, 1180.
4) N. R. Sottos et al., Nature 2024, 634, 85.
