Molecular events in atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene and methyl acrylate

Abstract

Typical reactions involved in the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) are discussed and expressed as their frequencies in polymerization of styrene and methyl acrylate. In polymerization of styrene, several activation-deactivation cycles occur before one monomer unit is incorporated and termination between growing radicals occurs 800 times slower than propagation. In methyl acrylate polymerization, several monomer molecules are incorporated during each activation step resulting in broader molecular weight distribution than in styrene ATRP. Radical termination in methyl acrylate is even slower and occurs after 400 000 monomer additions.