Ultrafast single-electron-transfer/degenerative-chain-transfer mediated living radical polymerization of acrylates initiated with iodoform in water at room temperature and catalyzed by sodium dithionite

Abstract

Sodium dithionite in the presence of NaHCO 3 in water acts as a single-electron-transfer agent and facilitates the single-electron-transfer/ degenerative-chain-transfer mediated living radical polymerization (SET-DTLRP) of acrylates initiated with iodoform at room temperature. The resulting α,ω-di(iodo)polyacrylates can be used as macroinitiators for the SET-DTLRP of other acrylates. Ultrahigh-molar-mass poly-(tert-butyl acrylate) can be synthesized via the SET-DTLRP of tert-butyl acrylate and has a very low weight-average molecular weight/number-average molecular weight ratio of 1.15. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.