Process consisting of a chemical reaction that generates a species that catalyzes
another reaction and also the succeeding catalyzed reaction.
Notes:
- Chemical amplification can lead to a change in structure and by consequence to a change
in the physical properties of a polymeric material.
- The term 'chemical amplification' is commonly used in photo-resist lithography employing a photo-acid generator or
photo-base generator.
- An example of chemical amplification is the transformation of [(tert-butoxycarbonyl)oxy]phenyl groups in polymer chains to hydroxyphenyl groups catalyzed
by a photo-generated acid.
Source:
PAC, 2004, 76, 889
(Definitions of terms relating to reactions of polymers and to functional polymeric
materials (IUPAC Recommendations 2003))
on page 891