New Efficient D‐π‐A and A‐π‐A Structured Type I Radical Photoinitiators for Additive Manufacturing Nanomaterials Preparation

Abstract Here, a group of new type‐I radical photoinitiators, 1,1‐dimethoxy‐1‐phenylpropan‐2‐one, and its derivative are presented. Because of the extended conjugation system, their absorption is strongly redshifted, activating them under visible light; the best derivatives are active even at 470 nm. Thanks to the use of aldol condensation for the synthesis of new compounds, it is possible to obtain an entire library of new compounds for photopolymerization processes. The developed photoinitiators are found to be effective in photoinitiating the free‐radical polymerization of acrylate and metacrylate monomers. Owing to their excellent photoinitiating activities, the presented compounds can be used in 3D printing applications. The research described here indicates that the properties of the new photoinitiators enable their use in the efficient preparation of nanocomposites in vat 3D printing. This research provides a significant advancement in the development of new one‐component photoinitiators that are active in visible light.