Piperonyl methacrylate: Copolymerizable coinitiator for adhesive compositions

[Display omitted] •The synthesis of piperonyl methacrylate (PipM) is described.•PipM was evaluated as coinitiator for photosensitive dental adhesives.•Rate of polymerization and degree of CC conversion were improved.•PipM is a feasible alternative to tertiary amines as coinitiator. This study describes the synthesis of piperonyl methacrylate (PipM) and evaluates its effect when used as coinitiator in the photoinitiated radical polymerization of experimental adhesive resins. PipM was synthetized through an esterification reaction and characterized by FTIR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Adhesive resins containing camphorquinone as photoinitiator and PipM or ethyl-4-dimethyl amine benzoate (EDAB) as coinitiators were formulated. Scotchbond Multipurpose (SBMP) adhesive was used as commercial reference. All materials were analyzed for polymerization kinetics, flexural strength, elastic modulus, water sorption/solubility, shear bond strength to bovine enamel and dentin, characterization of hybrid layer by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), microbiological direct contact test, and cytotoxicity. The adhesive with PipM presented higher degree of conversion and lower sorption/solubility when compared with other groups. Shear bond strength to enamel and dentin were similar for PipM and EDAB materials. The percentage of cellular viability was close to 100% and similar in the experimental groups and the commercial reference. PipM presented similar or superior performance to the tertiary amine used as control, representing a potential alternative coinitiator for photopolymerizable dental materials. PipM could be potentially useful in the formulations of adhesive systems with enhanced chemical properties, which could mean improvement in the longevity of composite resin restorations.