Acrylate radicals: Direct observation and reactivity

A new procedure for the direct study of the chemical reactivity of acrylate radicals is developed: the acrylate radicals are produced by the addition of an aminoalkyl radical to an acrylate double bond and directly observed by transient absorption spectroscopy. These acrylate radicals are characterized by a strong absorption in the visible part of the spectrum allowing to easily probe their chemical reactivity. This provides a new access to their interactions with different additives. Moreover, the subsequent addition to another acrylate double bond as well as the recombination of two acrylate radicals are also investigated.