Controlled radical polymerization (CRP) or reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP), also known as living radical polymerization (LRP), has distinct advantages over conventional free radical polymerization. CRP techniques enable easier control over the molecular weight of the resulting polymers, enabling synthesis of polymers with narrow molecular weight distributions, and enabling synthesis of specialized structured polymers such as block copolymers, star shaped polymers, hyperbranched polymers, graft polymers, and bottlebrush polymers.
As the term "reversible-deactivation radical polymerization" suggests, CRPs are chain polymerization propagated by radicals that are reversibly deactivated and leading to active-dormant equilibria.1) When the concentration of active species is sufficiently low and the exchange rate between active and dormant species is faster than propagation, termination and irreversible chain transfer are suppressed and all polymer chains grow at the same rate.
In recent years, CRPs have been increasingly utilized in the development of functional materials and have also been adopted in industries.2)
We offer essential reagents for various CRPs, including reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), organotellurium-mediated radical polymerization (TERP), organocatalyzed living radical polymerization including reversible complexation mediated polymerization (RCMP), and nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP).
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