Reversible photoreduction of methylene blue in acrylate media containing benzyl dimethyl ketal

The reversible photoreduction of methylene blue in acrylate media is studied here. Methylene blue can be photoreduced using a benzyl dimethyl ketal photoinitiator upon 365 nm irradiation. The photoreduction is due to the interaction of methylene blue with methyl radical which is generated when benzyl dimethyl ketal is photocleaved. The photoreduced polyacrylate sample exhibits reversible photoreduction behavior due to the cyclic processes of oxidation in air and reduction in nitrogen upon UV exposure. Since methylene blue is widely used across many disciplines, our results have many potential applications in sensors, data storage, electronic devices, etc.