LIVING AND CONTROLLED RADICAL POLYMERIZATION

Radical polymerizations cannot truly be 'living' because of the inevit able termination between growing radicals. However, relatively good co ntrol of molecular weights, polydispersities and terminal functionalit ies can be achieved by using either unimolecular or bimolecular exchan ge between growing radicals and dormant chains. The dormant chains can be in the form of either covalent species or organometallic compounds . Some systems based on alkoxyamines, organochromium compounds, organo aluminum compounds and alkyl iodides were studied and are discussed in detail.