This paper presents a review of living radical polymerization achieved with thiocarbonylthio compounds [ZC(=S)SR] by a mechanism of reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT). Since we first introduced the technique in 1998, the number of papers and patents on the RAFT process has increased exponentially as the technique has proved to be one of the most versatile for the provision of polymers of well defined architecture. The factors influencing the effectiveness of RAFT agents and outcome of RAFT polymerization are detailed. With this insight, guidelines are presented on how to conduct RAFT and choose RAFT agents to achieve particular structures. A survey is provided of the current scope and applications of the RAFT process in the synthesis of well defined homo-, gradient, diblock, triblock, and star polymers, as well as more complex architectures including microgels and polymer brushes.

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Living radical polymerization by the RAFT process

Among the living radical polymerization techniques, reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) and macromolecular design via the interchange of xanthates (MADIX) polymerizations appear to be the most versatile processes in terms of the reaction conditions, the variety of monomers for which polymerization can be controlled, tolerance to functionalities, and the range of polymeric architectures that can be produced. This review highlights the progress made in RAFT/MADIX polymerization since the first report in 1998. It addresses, in turn, the mechanism and kinetics of the process, examines the various components of the system, including the synthesis paths of the thiocarbonyl-thio compounds used as chain-transfer agents, and the conditions of polymerization, and gives an account of the wide range of monomers that have been successfully polymerized to date, as well as the various polymeric architectures that have been produced. In the last section, this review describes the future challenges that the process will face and shows its opening to a wider scientific community as a synthetic tool for the production of functional macromolecules and materials. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43:5347–5393, 2005

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/pola.20986

Macromolecular design via réversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)/Xanthates (MADIX) polymerization

3.10 - Nitroxide-Mediated Polymerization

Kinetics of Living Radical Polymerization

Thermosensitive water-soluble copolymers with doubly responsive reversibly interacting entities

A series of relatively monodisperse samples of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) were synthesized by reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) over the molecular weight range 2 × 103−3 × 105. For molecular weights below 4 × 104, conditions were found so that polydispersity remained below 1.4 up to high conversion (72%). Molecular weight distributions of polymer obtained using GPC in THF and MALDI were in accord for the low molecular weight range (typically 105). Particular care is required in GPC sample preparation:  it is necessary to ensure that trace amounts of water are initially present when drying a polymer sample prior to dissolution in THF, to avoid irreversible chain aggregation. The log/log plot of intrinsic viscosity against molecular weight for polyNIPAM was found to be linear for molecular weights <105, after which the hydrodynamic volume seems to be independent of molecular weight. The Mark−Houwink parameters obtained from the lower molecular weight data are K = 10-(4.24±0.42) dL g-1...

Marie Anne Dourges

Papers

Molecular weight characterization of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) prepared by living free-radical polymerization