Living Radical Polymerization by the RAFT Process – A Second Update

Graeme Moad; Ezio Rizzardo; San H. Thang

doi:10.1071/CH09311

RESEARCH FRONT

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Living Radical Polymerization by the RAFT Process – A Second Update

Graeme Moad ^A ^B , Ezio Rizzardo ^A ^B and San H. Thang ^A ^B

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies, Bag 10, Clayton South, Victoria 3169, Australia.

^B Corresponding authors. Email: graeme.moad@csiro.au; ezio.rizzardo@csiro.au; san.thang@csiro.au

Graeme Moad obtained his B.Sc. (Hons) and Ph.D. from the Adelaide University in the field of organic free radical chemistry. After undertaking post-doctoral research at Pennsylvania State University in the field of biological organic chemistry he joined CSIRO in 1979 and is currently a chief research scientist and a research team leader. Dr Moad is author or co-author of 147 papers in refereed journals, co-inventor of 32 patent families (eight relate to the RAFT process) and co-author of the book ‘The Chemistry of Radical Polymerization’. His papers have been cited more than 9000 times and his h-index is 46. His research interests lie in the fields of polymer design and synthesis (radical polymerization, reactive extrusion, polymer nanocomposites) and polymerization kinetics and mechanism.

Ezio Rizzardo is a graduate of the University of New South Wales and he received his Ph.D. from the University of Sydney for his studies on the photochemistry of organic nitro compounds. He joined CSIRO in 1976 after postdoctoral research on the synthesis of biologically active organic compounds at Rice University, RIMAC, and the Australian National University. His CSIRO research has focussed on developing methods for controlling free radical polymerization. For this he has received a number of awards including the RACI Australian Polymer Medal and the CSIRO Chairman’s Gold Medal. Ezio is a CSIRO Fellow and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.

San H. Thang completed his B.Sc. (Hons) in 1983 and Ph.D. in 1987 both from Griffith University. He joined CSIRO in 1986 as a Research Fellow, and then moved to ICIAustralia Research Group in December 1987 to undertake the challenge of industrial research. He returned to CSIRO in late 1990 and currently is a Senior Principal Research Scientist at Molecular and Health Technologies where his research focuses primarily on the interface between organic and polymer chemistry. San is a leading expert in the field of free radical chemistry and polymer chemistry. He is a co-inventor of the living radical polymerization by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT process).

Australian Journal of Chemistry 62(11) 1402-1472 https://doi.org/10.1071/CH09311
Submitted: 29 May 2009 Accepted: 4 August 2009 Published: 20 November 2009

Abstract

This paper provides a second update to the review of reversible deactivation radical polymerization achieved with thiocarbonylthio compounds (ZC(=S)SR) by a mechanism of reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) that was published in June 2005 (Aust. J. Chem. 2005, 58, 379–410). The first update was published in November 2006 (Aust. J. Chem. 2006, 59, 669–692). This review cites over 500 papers that appeared during the period mid-2006 to mid-2009 covering various aspects of RAFT polymerization ranging from reagent synthesis and properties, kinetics and mechanism of polymerization, novel polymer syntheses and a diverse range of applications. Significant developments have occurred, particularly in the areas of novel RAFT agents, techniques for end-group removal and transformation, the production of micro/nanoparticles and modified surfaces, and biopolymer conjugates both for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

References