RAFT polymerization reaction conditions

It remains a common misconception that radical-radical termination is suppressed in processes such as NMP or ATRP. Another issue, in many people s minds, is whether processes that involve an irreversible termination step, even as a minor side reaction, should be called living. Living radical polymerization appears to be an oxymoron and the heading to this section a contradiction in terms (Section 9.1.1). In any processes that involve propagating radicals, there will be a finite rate of termination commensurate with the concentration of propagating radicals and the reaction conditions. The processes that fall under the heading of living or controlled radical polymerization (e.g. NMP, ATRP, RAFT) provide no exceptions. 

The processes described in this section should be contrasted with RAFT polymerization (Section 9.5.3), which can involve the use of similar thioearbonylthio compounds. A. A -dialkyl dithiocarbamates have very low transfer constants in polymerizations of S and (mctb)acrylatcs and arc not effective in RAFT polymerization of these monomers. However, /V,A -dialkyl dithiocarbamates have been successfully used in RAFT polymerization of VAc. Certain O-alkyl xanthates have been successfully used to control RAFT polymerizations of VAc, acrylates and S. The failure of the earlier experiments using these reagents and monomers to provide narrow molecular weight distributions by a RAFT mechanism can he attributed to the use of non-ideal reaction conditions and reagent choice. A two part photo-initiator system comprising a mixture of a benzyl dithiocarhamate and a dithiuram disulfide has also been described and provides better control (narrower molecular weight distributions).43... 

Polymerizations of methacrylic monomers in the presence of methacrylic macromonomers under monomer-starved conditions display many of the characteristics of living polymerization (Scheme 9.36). These systems involve RAFT (Section 9.5.2). However, RAFT with appropriate thiocarbonylthio compounds is the most well known process of this class (Section 9.5.3). It is also the most versatile having been shown to be compatible with most monomer types and a very wide range of reaction conditions.382... 

With appropriate choice of reaction conditions, hyperbranched polymers can be formed by sclf-condcnsing vinyl polymerization of monomers that additionally contain the appropriate initiator (NMP, ATRP), when the compounds are called inimers, or RAFT agent functionality. Monomers used in this process include 340,716 341717 and 34204 (for NMP), 108714,714 and 344 and related monomers720 723 (for ATRP) and 343408 (for RAFT). Careful control of reaction conditions is required to avoid network formation. 

Figure 6.2 (a) Average DP and polydispersity value versus conversion for bulk living polymerization of styrene by RAFT (b) corresponding gel permeation chromatogram. Reaction conditions T = 80 °C initiator, AIBN RAFT agent, Z = Ph, R = CH(CH3)Ph (cf. Scheme 6.4) styrene RAFT agent initiator = 600 4 1 (w/w)... 

In any processes that involve propagating radicals, there will be a finite rate of termination commensurate with the concentration of propagating radicals and the reaction conditions. The processes that fall under the heading of living or controlled radical polymerization (e.g. NMP, ATRP, RAFT) provide no exceptions. 

All the CRP techniques have advantages and drawbacks some of these techniques will be more suitable for some applications than others. In general terms, SFRP or NMP is perhaps the simplest from the chemical point of view and it is rather robust, but it requires relatively high temperatures and it works better with styrenics. Milder reaction conditions are needed for ATRP and RAFT polymerizations, and these two techniques work better with a larger number of monomers than NMRP, does although in both cases a final step of metal (ATRP) or color (RAFT) removal from the polymer may be necessary. In terms of the number of reported applications/publications, ATRP is the leading technique, followed by RAFT, and then NMRP, but a further expansion, maturity, and eventual extended industrial application of all of them are expected. 

It is of obvious interest to explore the use of other polymerization techniques that, being more tolerant to the experimental conditions and monomers, can produce amphiphilie azobenzene BCPs with no need for post reactions. Notably, Su et al. have reeently reported the synthesis of such an amphiphilic diblock copolymer with PAA as the hydrophilic block using reversible addition-fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization (structure d in Fig. 6.2) (Su et al., 2007). Using RAFT, they prepared PAA capped with dithiobenzoate and used it as the macro-RAFT transfer agent to polymerize the hydrophobic azobenzene polymer successfully. It ean be expected that more amphiphilic azobenzene BCPs will be synthesized using the eontrolled radical polymerization techniques (ATRP and RAFT) because of their simplicity, versatility, and efficiency. 

In comparison to other controlled radical polymerization techniques, RAFT is more tolerant to a wide range of monomers and reaction conditions. 

Summaiy In this short review, selected experimental approaches for probing the mechanism and kinetics of RAFT polymerization are highlighted. Methods for studying RAFT polymerization via varying reaction conditions, such as pressure, temperature, and solution properties, are reviewed. A technique for the measurement of the RAFT specific addition and fragmentation reaction rates via combination of pulsed-laser-initiated RAFT polymerization and j,s-time-resolved electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy is detailed. Mechanistic investigations using mass spectrometry are exemplified on dithiobenzoic-acid-mediated methyl methacrylate polymerization. 

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