Nitroxide-Mediated Polymerization: A Versatile Tool for the Engineering of Next Generation Materials

Abstract

Nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP) is a reversible-deactivation radical polymerization technique (RDRP) that facilitates the synthesis of well-defined and complex macromolecular architectures, with low polymer dispersity and high chain end homogeneity. NMP is an industrially robust technique that is inherently simple, often only requiring a single unimolecular initiator with a monomer to perform the polymerization, followed by a simple precipitation/filtration to workup the final product. Unlike other RDRP techniques, NMP provides clean well-defined polymers, without the need for transition metal complexes, which is favorable for some sensitive biological and electronic applications. This Review focuses on the use of these engineered polymers, synthesized by NMP, in emerging applications, such as next-generation lithium batteries, organic electronics, drug delivery systems, biosourced materials, photolithography, and photopolymerization. Emphasis is placed on publications since 2015.