Functional Interfaces Constructed by Controlled/Living Radical Polymerization for Analytical Chemistry.

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• High-value applications in analytical science demand functional polymers with well-defined interfaces and precise molecular architectures.
• Controlled/living radical polymerization (CRP) offers a powerful approach to synthesize polymers with controlled molecular weights and narrow distributions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review emerging functional interfaces constructed using RAFT and ATRP for analytical science.
• To highlight the synthesis of precisely controlled polymer architectures for molecular separation, retention, and sensing.

Main Methods:

• Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP)
• Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT)
• Synthesis of various polymer architectures (homopolymers, block copolymers, imprinted copolymers, grafted copolymers)

Main Results:

• RAFT and ATRP enable the creation of functional polymers with tailored architectures.
• These polymers are applicable in diverse analytical tools like core-shell particles, monoliths, and nanoparticles.
• Precisely controlled polymers facilitate molecular separation, retention, and sensing.

Conclusions:

• CRP methods, specifically RAFT and ATRP, are pivotal for developing advanced functional polymers in analytical science.
• These techniques allow for the construction of sophisticated interfaces for enhanced analytical performance.
• CRP is expected to become a leading technique for functional polymer synthesis in analytical chemistry.