Reversible Addition Fragmentation Chain Transfer RAFT Process

5 Reversible Addition Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT) Process 

For the RAFT process to be effective Z must activate the C=S functionality toward radical addition to ensure high transfer constants while R should give a stabilized radical that can still initiate polymerization. 

RAFT is effective with a wide range of monomers, but distinguishes itself from SFRP and ATRP in that it can polymerize carboxylic acid-containing monomers such as methacrylic acid [46]. The polymerizations are performed at temperatures of 100 °C or less with typical polydispersities in the 1.1 1.25 range under either bulk, solution or emulsion conditions. Initially formed homopolymers can readily be chain extended or transformed into block copolymers by reaction with a second monomer [47]. 

Two concerns with the RAFT process are that the polymers tend to have an odor and often are reddish in color. 

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Favier, A., Charreyre, M., 2006. Experimental requirements for an efficient control of free-radical polymerizations via the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) process. Macromol. Rapid Commun. 27 (9), 653-692. 

Fig. 48. Reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) process developed by CSIRO researchers.

While in most of the reports on SIP free radical polymerization is utihzed, the restricted synthetic possibihties and lack of control of the polymerization in terms of the achievable variation of the polymer brush architecture limited its use. The alternatives for the preparation of weU-defined brush systems were hving ionic polymerizations. Recently, controlled radical polymerization techniques has been developed and almost immediately apphed in SIP to prepare stracturally weU-de-fined brush systems. This includes living radical polymerization using nitroxide species such as 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidin-l-oxyl (TEMPO) [285], reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization mainly utilizing dithio-carbamates as iniferters (iniferter describes a molecule that functions as an initiator, chain transfer agent and terminator during polymerization) [286], as well as atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) were the free radical is formed by a reversible reduction-oxidation process of added metal complexes [287]. All techniques rely on the principle to drastically reduce the number of free radicals by the formation of a dormant species in equilibrium to an active free radical. By this the characteristic side reactions of free radicals are effectively suppressed. 

The need to better control surface-initiated polymerization recently led to the development of controlled radical polymerization techniques. The trick is to keep the concentration of free radicals low in order to decrease the number of side reactions. This is achieved by introducing a dormant species in equilibrium with the active free radical. Important reactions are the living radical polymerization with 2,2,4,4-methylpiperidine N-oxide (TEMPO) [439], reversible addition fragment chain transfer (RAFT) which utilizes so-called iniferters (a word formed from initiator, chain transfer and terminator) [440], and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) [441-443]. The latter forms radicals by added metal complexes as copper halogenides which exhibit reversible reduction-oxidation processes. 

Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization has proven to be a powerful tool for the synthesis of polymers with predetermined molecular weight and low polydispersity [11, 12], In recent years, synthesis of polymers with complex molecular architecture, e.g. block and star copolymers, via the RAFT process have been reported [13],... 

Anionic and later cationic pol3Tnerization gave most of examples of living pol3rmerization systems until recently, when more sophisticated methods of manipulation with free-radical polymerization processes become available. These methods are based on the use of the compounds which reversibly react with propagating radical and convert it to the so-called dormant species . When the equilibrium between the active and dormant species is regulated by special catalysts based on a transition metal, this process is called atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). If this equilibrium is provided by stable radicals such as nitroxides, the process is called stable free-radical polymerization (SFRP). In the case when dormant species are formed via a chain transfer rather than reversible termination reactions, this process is referred to as reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. All these techniques allow to produce macromolecules of desired architecture and molecular masses. 

Control of radical poljmerization with the addition of thiocarbonylthio compounds that serve as reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agents was first reported in 1998. Since that time much research carried out in these laboratories and elsewhere has demonstrated that RAFT polymerization is an extremely versatile process.f It can be applied to form narrow polydispersity poljmers or copolymers from most monomers amenable to radical poljmerization. It is possible to take RAFT poljmerizations to high conversion and achieve commercially acceptable polymerization rates. Polymerizations can be successfully carried out in heterogeneous media (emulsion, miniemulsion, suspen-... 

Quantum chemistry thus provides an invaluable tool for studying the mechanism and kinetics of free-radical polymerization, and should be seen as an important complement to experimental procedures. Already quantum chemical studies have made major contributions to our understanding of free-radical copolymerization kinetics, where they have provided direct evidence for the importance of penultimate imit effects (1,2). They have also helped in our understanding of substituent and chain-length effects on the frequency factors of propagation and transfer reactions (2-5). More recently, quantum chemical calculations have been used to provide an insight into the kinetics of the reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization process (6,7). For a more detailed introduction to quantum chemistry, the interested reader is referred to several excellent textbooks (8-16). 

The newest LFRP system involves reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) (259). PS, PMA, and PMMA having a polydispersity of < 1.3 and block copol5oners containing these monomers have been produced utilizing this novel chemistry. The initiators are either thioesters or thiocarbonates (260). The RAFT process is shown in Figure 48. 

In 2013, a combined effort by groups from Germany and France saw the application of tetrazole precursors in the photoinduced tetr2izole-ene coupling process leading to nitrile-butadiene rubber with molar masses up to 48 kDal [95]. The reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) procedure was employed, using a tetrazole-functionalized trithiocarbonate. 

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