Atom transfer radical polymerization.

New polymer synthesis by nitroxide mediated living radical polymerizations.

Metal-catalyzed living radical polymerization.

The mixing of polymers and nanoparticles is opening pathways for engineering flexible composites that exhibit advantageous electrical, optical, or mechanical properties. Recent advances reveal routes to exploit both enthalpic and entropic interactions so as to direct the spatial distribution of nanoparticles and thereby control the macroscopic performance of the material. For example, by tailoring the particle coating and size, researchers have created self-healing materials for improved sustainability and self-corralling rods for photovoltaic applications. A challenge for future studies is to create hierarchically structured composites in which each sublayer contributes a distinct function to yield a mechanically integrated, multifunctional material.

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/314/5802/1107.full.pdf

Nanoparticle Polymer Composites: Where Two Small Worlds Meet

Keywords: Fragmentation Chain-Transfer ; Self-Assembled Monolayers ; Walled Carbon Nanotubes ; Well-Defined Polymer ; Nitroxide-Mediated Polymerization ; Block-Copolymer Brushes ; Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Brushes ; Transfer Raft Polymerization ; Quartz-Crystal Microbalance ; Poly(Acrylic Acid) Brushes Reference EPFL-REVIEW-148464doi:10.1021/cr900045aView record in Web of Science Record created on 2010-04-23, modified on 2017-05-10

Polymer Brushes via Surface-Initiated Controlled Radical Polymerization: Synthesis, Characterization, Properties, and Applications

The preparation of a wide variety of unique polymer brush structures can be accomplished by “living” free radical polymerization of vinyl monomers from surface-tethered alkoxyamines or from tethered α-halo esters in the presence of (PPh3)2NiBr2. The use of a “living” free radical process permits the molecular weight and polydispersity of the covalently attached polymer chains to be accurately controlled while also allowing the formation of block copolymers by the sequential growth of monomers from the surface. These block and random copolymer brushes have been used to control surface properties.

Marc Husseman

Papers

Controlled Synthesis of Polymer Brushes by “Living” Free Radical Polymerization Techniques