| Abstract: | A comprehensive investigation of the photopolymerization in microheterogeneous structure is carried out with a view to elucidate the role played by the excited states in the initiation process. The radical initiation of methyl methacrylate in either anionic or cationic micelles or of acrylamide in reverse microemulsion is thus examined by UV spectroscopy, steady state photolysis and time resolved laser spectroscopy. The question of the localization of the initiator is dealt with special attention. Moreover, the influence of several parameters is also considered (concentration of reactants, incident light intensity, temperature or presence of external magnetic field). This contribution demonstrates the importance of a general approach involving a thorough knowledge of the elementary steps of initiation in the understanding of any polymerization conducted in a microheterogeneous medium. |
