Abstract
Cellulose acetate (CA; DS (degree of substitution)=2.45) films containing triphenylsulfoniumsalt, which is a typical photoacid generator, were prepared and their degradative behaviour by photoirradiation was examined. Decrease in molecular weight of CA and generation of acetic acid from the CA films were observed by the irradiation of xenon arc lamp light, which passed through a filter that absorbs light whose wavelength is shorter than 275 nm. As the triphenylsulfonium salt concentration increased, the decrease in molecular weight of CA and the generation of acetic acid from the CA films got increased. These results indicate that the acid generated from triphenylsulfonium salt acts as a catalyst and leads to main chain cleavage and deacetylation of CA by hydrolysis.
