Vanadium and iron substituted polyoxotungstate iodonium and tetrabutylammonium salts for visible light free radical polymerization

[Display omitted] •Polyoxotungstates were tested as visible light photoinitiators.•Free radical polymerization tests were carried out.•Polymerization tests were done under visible light.•Low intensity light sources were used.•Photochemical mechanism was examined. A series of diphenyliodonium and tetrabutylammonium salts of vanadium (+V) and iron (+III) mono and disubstituted polyoxotungstates was designed and tested as visible light photoinitiators for the free radical polymerization of acrylates or the cationic polymerization of epoxides. Interestingly, these polyoxotungstates could act as efficient photosensitizers for Type I or Type II photoinitiators (TPO-L, ITX), enabling to get excellent monomer conversions upon excitation at 405 nm.