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Abstract

A method of generating reactive species which includes exposing a polymolecular photoreactor to radiation, in which the polymolecular photoreactor comprises a wavelength-specific sensitizer associated with a reactive species-generating photoinitiator. The sensitizer absorbs energy and transfers the absorbed energy to the photoinitiator which in turn, generates reactive species. The wavelength-specific sensitizer is adapted to have an absorption wavelength band generally corresponding to an emission peak of the radiation. The radiation to which the polymolecular photoreactor is exposed generally will have a wavelength of from about 4 to about 1,000 nanometers. Thus, the radiation may be ultraviolet radiation, including near ultraviolet and far or vacuum ultraviolet radiation: visible radiation: and near infrared radiation. Desirably, the radiation will have a wavelength of from about 100 to about 900 nanometers. More desirably, in one embodiment, the radiation will have a wavelength of from about 100 to about 375 nanometers, in which case the radiation desirably is incoherent, pulsed ultraviolet radiation from a dielectric barrier discharge excimer lamp. Also described are methods of polymerizing unsaturated monomers and curing an unsaturated oligomer/monomer mixture.

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First Claim