1. Fundamental principles

Photochemical activation is one of the most effective methods for creating reactive species and thus initiating chemical reactions that can lead to the synthesis of new materials. It is in the field of polymers that this technology has seen its greatest industrial development, due to the many advantages associated with this type of initiation, notably the speed of the process and its spatiotemporal selectivity. UV radiation polymerization, or photopolymerization of multifunctional monomers (UV-radiation curing), has found its main outlets in the surface treatment of materials with protective coatings, the graphic arts and, in electronics, for the production of microcircuits. In all these applications, the main objective is to rapidly obtain highly cross-linked polymers with high resistance to chemical agents and the required mechanical properties.