Comparison of pure epoxy vs. epoxy-anhydride photopolymerization

[Display omitted] •An efficient photoactivated epoxy/anhydride reaction is proposed.•This reaction can be driven by both UV/visible and even near infrared light (NIR).•The polymerization kinetics were followed by both real-time FTIR and photorheology experiments.•The mechanical properties of this photoactivated epoxy/anhydride system are detailed. The epoxy/anhydride reaction is usually quite slow at room temperature RT (over an hour to achieve full conversion) and therefore requires heat treatment at a fairly high temperature. A new route is proposed in this work using an epoxy/anhydride photoactivated reaction. This reaction can be driven by both UV/visible and even near infrared light (NIR). To cause the polymerization of the epoxides with the anhydrides, a photoinitiating system is needed to ensure an efficient light activation. This means no external heat is required during reaction. Different epoxy/anhydride ratios are tested to optimize the system. Based on the different trials, a complete conversion of the epoxy function can be reached at 405 nm (visible light) or 785 nm (NIR light). Polymerization kinetics were followed by both real-time FTIR and photorheology experiments. The mechanical properties of this photoactivated epoxy/anhydride system are detailed.