synonym: controlled reversible-deactivation radical polymerization
initialism: RDRP
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08916
Chain polymerization, propagated by radicals that are deactivated reversibly, bringing them into active-dormant equilibria of which there might be more than one.
Notes:
- The abbreviated term controlled radical polymerization shall be permitted, provided that its context (i.e., the nature of the control) is specified at the first occurrence.
- Names containing the word 'living' are deprecated. Definition 84 in the kinetics document stipulates that chain termination and irreversible chain transfer must be absent if a polymerization is to be regarded as living. Examples of deprecated terms include living radical polymerization, controlled/living polymerization and quasi-living polymerization.
- Atom-transfer radical polymerization, reversible-addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization, and stable-radical-mediated polymerization all fall into this polymerization category.
- When the equilibria are established rapidly compared to the rate of propagation, the process may show many of the observable characteristics associated with living polymerization. One consequence of rapid equilibration is that it may become possible to exert control over the shape of the chain-length distribution, prepare polymers of low dispersity (i.e., polymers with a high degree of uniformity), and extend chains to form block copolymers, the block lengths of which are of low dispersity, by the sequential addition of monomers. Although some termination is inevitably taking place, the equilibrium between the remaining propagating radicals and dormant species is maintained.