Living Polymerization Techniques

Dear Colleagues,

This volume on living polymerization processes is intended to embrace all polymerization processes which show living characteristics. These characteristics include the ability to control molecular weight and molecular weight distribution, polymer composition and synthesize a variety of polymer architectures which including blocks and stars.

The classical living polymerization method is anionic polymerization. IUPAC have recommended that the term “living polymerization” be reserved for polymerizations that proceed in the absence irreversible termination (A.D. Jenkins, R.I. Jones, G. Moad. Pure Appl. Chem. 2010, 82, 483-491). The term “reversible deactivation radical polymerization” has been coined to describe those radical polymerization such as atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), nitroxide mediated polymerization (NMP) and radical polymerization with reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT), which inevitably involve termination but which, with appropriate selection of reagents and reaction conditions, display most of the attributes associated with living polymerization. Some forms of ionic polymerization should similarly be termed reversible deactivation polymerizations.

Other forms of polymerization potentially included in this volume are some forms of cationic polymerization, group transfer polymerization, metathesis polymerization, catalyst transfer polymerization, Grignard metathesis polymerization (GRIM) and ring opening polymerization. There is no intention to be restrictive.

Dr. Graeme Moad
Guest Editor