Photocrosslinking of copolymers of vinyloxyethyl methacrylate–styrene initiated by sulfonium salts. I. Transient species formed on photolysis of sulfonium salt

Benzyl cation was detected by transient absorption spectroscopy with a spectroscopic multichannel analyzer on pulse excitation (fourth harmonic of Nd:YAG laser, 266 nm; 10 ns fwhm) of benzyl(4-hydroxyphenyl) methylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonate(BSS) in 1,2-dichloroethane (EDC). The benzyl cation was long-lived (lifetime, 59 ms) at room temperature and quenched by a vinyl ether compound. The formation of the benzyl cation as active species on photolysis of BSS is in contrast to the formation of Brønsted acids in other sulfonium salts so far reported. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.