Telechelic Oligomers Obtained by Dead-End Polymerization

DEP afforded the synthesis of telechelic oligomers [29]. With the telomerization process, DEP appeared to be the first free-radical polymerization leading to telechelic oligomers. Tobolsky [30] first stated the conditions of DEP, i.e., the half life of the growing species has to be equivalent to that of the initiator. These specific conditions result in an unusual high rate of termination, which allows for the synthesis of oligomers. The telechelic structure will be obtained by combining a termination mode exclusively by recombination with the use of a difunctional initiator. 

Boutevin [2], in his review on Telechelic oligomers by radical reactions developed the categories of functional initiators, i.e., diazoic compounds, hydrogen peroxide, and oxygenated substances. He examined the different reactivities and combinations of such initiators with monomers in order to synthesize telechelic oligomers. Boutevin [2] also summarized the monomers able to totally recombine or to avoid termination by disproportionation. He showed a quantitative amount of recombination only for styrene, acrylates, dienes, and acrylonitrile [31-33]. 

We examine the recent developments made in DEP conditions with monomers such as styrene, acrylates, fluoro-type monomers, and N-iso-propylacrylamide, with the aim of synthesizing telechelic oligomers. 

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