In situ monitoring of the radiation-induced polymerisation of methylmethacrylate using fluorogenic molecular probes

The application of fluorogenic probe molecules for in situ monitoring of radiation-induced polymerisation is illustrated by measurements on the polymerisation of methylmethacrylate in a cobalt gamma-ray source. The probe molecules fluoresce only when they are incorporated into growing polymer chains. The fluorescence intensity is therefore a measure of the degree of polymerisation. Changes in the fluorescence spectrum can in addition be used as a monitor of the changes occurring in the rigidity of the medium as polymerisation proceeds. The method is particularly suitable for studying the abrupt changes occurring during the 'gel' or 'Trommsdorff' phase of polymerisation, (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.