Carnegie Mellon University

Pawel Chmielarz

Krzysztof A Matyjaszewski

Yi Jing Wang

Francesca Lorandi

Pawel Krys

Xiangcheng Pan

Marco Fantin

Dominik Konkolewicz

Valerie Williams

Systems and methods for Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) emulsion polymerization are provided. The ATRP emulsion polymerization comprises a suspending medium, a dispersed medium, a surfactant, a transition metal compound in a higher oxidation state, a ligand, and an ATRP initiator. The transition metal compound is capable of forming a catalyst complex in a presence of the ligand. The catalyst complex is soluble in the suspending medium and is capable of forming an ionic complex with the surfactant. The ionic complex is capable of moving between the suspending medium and the dispersed medium. A portion of the transition metal compound in the higher oxidation state within a portion of the catalyst complex is reduced by a physical and/or a chemical procedure thereby initiating a polymerization of one or more radically (co)polymerizable monomers by reaction with the initiator.

Surfactant assisted formation of a catalyst complex for emulsion atom transfer radical polymerization processes

A process for polymerizing radically (co)polymerizable monomers at a temperature between &#x2212;10&#xb0; C. and 110&#xb0; C. in an aqueous system comprising one or more radically (co)polymerizable monomer(s) is disclosed, and includes a molar excess of a ligand forming a soluble transition metal complex with an added transition metal salt that participates in a reversible reduction-oxidation cycle with one of an added site specific functional initiator and a dormant polymer chain having a radically transferable atom or group. The initial soluble catalyst complex concentration in the higher oxidation state is less than or equal to 2500 ppm. The reaction is conducted in the presence of an activator regenerator. The mole fraction of the soluble lower activator oxidation state transition metal formed by action of the activator regenerator, to transition metal in a higher deactivator oxidation state is less than 10%. The formed polymer chains have a dispersity of less than 1.5.

Aqueous ATRP in the presence of an activator regenerator

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Pawel Chmielarz