Abstract
l-(N,N-Bis-benzoylamino)-4,5-diphenyl-1,2,3-triazole (1) was used as the photoinitiator for the polymerization of methyl methacrylate in bulk and in solution. Polymerization in bulk follows the usual free-radical kinetics. The initiation is believed to occur via hydrogen abstraction from monomer or solvent caused by the excited state of 1. Polymerization was found to be remarkably enhanced by the addition of a small amount of triethylamine. This was attributed to the formation of an electron transfer complex between photoactivated 1 and a ground-state amine.