Sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone)/poly(vinyl alcohol) sensitizing system for solution photogeneration of small Ag, Au, and Cu crystallites.

Illumination of air-free aqueous solutions containing sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) and poly(vinyl alcohol) with 350 nm light results in benzophenone ketyl radicals of the polyketone. The polymer radicals form with a quantum yield 0.02 and decay with a second-order rate constant 6 orders of magnitude lower than that of typical alpha-hydroxy radicals.