The development of photocatalytic systems that combine high polymerization efficiency with precise control in aqueous media remains a key challenge for advancing green polymer chemistry and additive manufacturing. Herein, a plasmon-induced interfacial charge transfer strategy was reported to drive ultrafast aqueous photoinduced atom transfer radical polymerization (photoATRP), overcoming key limitations such as sluggish kinetics and oxygen sensitivity. Designed as an integrated photocatalyst, the Au@CdS core@shell nanostructure utilizes the plasmonic Au core to harvest visible light via localized surface plasmon resonance and inject hot electrons into the CdS shell through a plasmon-induced interfacial charge transfer pathway to activate Cu(II) catalysts rapidly. This synergistic charge management results in remarkably ultrafast polymerization in 1 min with parts per million level copper under aerobic conditions with Na2EDTA as a hole scavenger, while maintaining excellent control over molecular weight and dispersity. This work establishes a new photocatalyst for energy-efficient, scalable precision polymer synthesis and additive manufacturing.
Zhang et al. (Fri,) studied this question.