Patent ID: 6911485

Claim:
A process for polymerizing a monomer, polymerizing and/or crosslinking an oligomer, or crosslinking a polymer or copolymer, said monomer, oligomer, polymer and copolymer being selected from the group consisting of precursor monomers of the polymer or copolymer, urethane oligomers, thiourethane oligomers, episulfide oligomers, urethane polymers and copolymers, thiourethane polymers and copolymers, and episulfide polymers and copolymers, which comprises: (a) adding to precursor monomers or oligomers or polymers or copolymers an effective amount of at least one complex of Co, Mo or W which under irradiation conditions photochemically reacts to release at least one anionically charged nucleophile or uncharged Lewis base; and (b) irradiating the mixture of (a) to release the at least one anionically charged nucleophile or uncharged Lewis base to initiate polymerisation and/or crosslinking of the monomer, oligomer, polymer or copolymer; wherein the complex excludes trans-Co(en) 2 Cl 2 + and trans-Co(cyclam)Cl 2 + .