Organometallic-mediated radical polymerization of ‘less activated monomers’: Fundamentals, challenges and opportunities

Publication date: 21 April 2017
Source:Polymer, Volume 115
Author(s): Antoine Debuigne, Christine Jérôme, Christophe Detrembleur
Access to well-defined polymers made of the so-called 'Less Activated Monomers' (LAMs) via controlled radical polymerization has long been a challenge due to the lack of radical stabilizing group on the double bond of these monomers. This Feature Article summarizes substantial progress in the organometallic-mediated radical polymerization (OMRP) of this important class of monomers including vinyl esters, olefins, vinyl chloride, vinyl amides, or ionic-liquid vinyl monomers. It aims to provide a clear and comprehensive account of the fundamentals and challenges in the OMRP of LAMs as well as an overview of the resulting macromolecular engineering opportunities. The input of photochemistry, environmentally friendly solvents or flow reactors in OMRP is also presented. Finally, it emphasizes how some well-defined LAMs-based materials contributed to the development of specific applications notably in the fields of biomedicine or energy.

Graphical abstract

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