Recent Advances in RAFT Polymerization: Novel Initiation Mechanisms and Optoelectronic Applications

Abstract

Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) is considered to be one of most famous reversible deactivation radical polymerization protocols. Benefiting from its living or controlled polymerization process, complex polymeric architectures with controlled molecular weight, low dispersity, as well as various functionality have been constructed, which could be applied in wide fields, including materials, biology, and electrology. Under the continuous research improvement, main achievements have focused on the development of new RAFT techniques, containing fancy initiation methods (e.g., photo, metal, enzyme, redox and acid), sulfur-free RAFT system and their applications in many fields. This review summarizes the current advances in major bright spot of novel RAFT techniques as well as their potential applications in the optoelectronic field, especially in the past a few years.

Using Kinetic Modeling and Experimental Data to Evaluate Mechanisms in PET‐RAFT

“…RDRP methods such as nitroxide‐mediated polymerization (NMP), atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), and reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) have allowed for the synthesis of a wide range of well‐defined polymer structures containing a large variety of chemical functionalities for a number of uses. In the past few years, photochemical RDRP processes have gained significant attention as they combine the utility of RDRP with the more mild conditions and ambient temperatures associated with photochemical reactions . Photochemical processes also grant the ability to spatially and temporally control a polymerization, which is a significant challenge using the more traditional thermal methods of initiating radical polimerization …”

Esters of diphenylphosphinoselenothioic and diphenylphosphinodiselenoic acids with potential for RAFT polymerization

“…Elemental analysis was performed on a Flash EA 1112 analyzer and melting points were measured on an Electrothermal 9200 apparatus. 1…”

“…Radical polymerization is largely used in organic synthesis and different methods were employed during last years, e.g. reversible addition fragmentation transfers polymerization (RAFT) [1][2][3], nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP) [4,5], or atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) [6,7], in order to realize a better control of both the polymerization process and the characteristic properties of the obtained polymers. Among these methods, RAFT proved to be a very efficient one in living polymerization and it was observed that for best efficiency it is essential to design an appropriate RAFT agent.…”

A Comprehensive Outlook of Synthetic Strategies and Applications of Redox‐Responsive Nanogels in Drug Delivery

“…A rapid equilibrium between active propagating radicals (P n · and P m · ) and dormant species enables a similar degree of polymerization to all the chains. Finally, the termination of the radical species takes place . Nanogels generally synthesized by RAFT in the presence of disulfide‐based cross‐linkers have been reported to show remarkable redox‐induced degradation resulting in the formation of individual polymer chains with narrow molecular weight distribution and molar masses thus making it an effective CRP technique for the development of redox‐responsive nanogels .…”