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Related Concept Videos

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview01:10

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview

Chain-growth or addition polymerization is successive addition reactions of monomers with a polymer chain. In radical chain-growth polymerization, the reaction proceeds via a free-radical intermediate. The free radical is formed from radical initiators, which spontaneously generate free radicals by homolytic fission. Organic peroxides (such as dibenzoyl peroxide, as shown in Figure 1) or azo compounds are popular radical initiators. A low concentration ratio of radical initiator to monomer is...
Radical Reactivity: Overview01:11

Radical Reactivity: Overview

Radicals, the highly reactive species, gain stability by undergoing three different reactions. The first reaction involves a radical-radical coupling, in which a radical combines with another radical, forming a spin‐paired molecule. The second reaction is between a radical and a spin‐paired molecule, generating a new radical and a new spin‐paired molecule. The third reaction is radical decomposition in a unimolecular reaction, forming a new radical and a spin‐paired molecule. These three...
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism01:09

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

The radical chain-growth polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination of polymerization. The polymerization initiates when a free radical generated from the radical initiator adds to the unsaturated bond in the monomer. The unpaired electron of the free radical and one π electron in the unsaturated bond creates a σ bond between the free radical and the monomer. As a result, the other π electron in the unsaturated bond converts this species into the...
Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes02:35

Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes

The conversion of alkenes to macromolecules called polymers is a reaction of high commercial importance. The structure of the polymer is defined by a repeating unit, while the terminal groups are considered insignificant. The average degree of polymerization represents the number of repeating units in the polymer molecule and is denoted by the subscript n.
Radical Formation: Addition00:47

Radical Formation: Addition

Radicals can be formed by adding a radical to a spin-paired molecule. This is typically observed with unsaturated species, where the addition of a radical across the π bond leads to the production of a new radical by dissolving the π bond. For example, the addition of a Br radical to an alkene yields a carbon-centered radical.
Similar to charge conservation in chemical reactions, spin conservation is implicit for radical reactions. Accordingly, the product formed must possess an unpaired...
Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching01:17

Radical Chain-Growth Polymerization: Chain Branching

The skeletal structure of polymers synthesized via radical polymerization is always branched. For example, the polymerization of ethylene by radical polymerization results in a low-density grade of polyethylene with a heavily branched skeletal structure. Here, the radical site abstracts hydrogen from the growing chain, and the radical site shifts from the end (a primary carbon center) to anywhere within the growing chain (a secondary carbon center). Consequently, the part of the chain from the...

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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Functionalized Vinyl Monomers Using Perylene as a Visible Light Photocatalyst
06:49

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Functionalized Vinyl Monomers Using Perylene as a Visible Light Photocatalyst

Published on: April 22, 2016

Initiating Photocontrolled Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization from a Redox-Activated Functional Group.

Isobelle F McClements1, Megan E Driscoll1, Brett P Fors1

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Baker Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|June 20, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers initiated controlled radical polymerization from primary amines using photo-ATRP. This method enables advanced polymer synthesis from common functional groups, expanding possibilities for polymer architectures.

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3D Printing and In Situ Surface Modification via Type I Photoinitiated Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization
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3D Printing and In Situ Surface Modification via Type I Photoinitiated Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization

Published on: February 18, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Organic Synthesis
  • Photocatalysis

Background:

  • Controlled radical polymerization is crucial for advanced polymer architectures like surface grafts and conjugates.
  • Conventional photocontrolled atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is limited by the need for alkyl halide initiators.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a method for initiating photo-ATRP directly from primary amines.
  • To enable the synthesis of advanced polymer architectures using readily available functional groups.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized an iridium photocatalyst to trigger radical deamination of redox-activated primary amines.
  • Initiated controlled radical polymerization under visible light irradiation with an exogenous bromide source.

Main Results:

  • Achieved controlled radical polymerization with narrow molar mass distributions (Đ ≈ 1.2-1.3).
  • Demonstrated high α-chain-end fidelities (>99%) and active bromide ω-chain-ends.
  • Showcased good agreement between theoretical and experimental molar masses.

Conclusions:

  • Established a novel photo-ATRP initiation method directly from primary amines.
  • Paved the way for using non-alkyl halide initiators in well-controlled ATRP polymerizations.
  • Enabled the creation of advanced polymer architectures from redox-activated functional groups.