Emulsion Polymerization of Styrene Mediated by TEMPO at Low Temperature

NMRP is a controlled polymerization technique with the ability to produce polymers with a highly controlled microstructure. The properties of the thus obtained polymers make it desirable to scale this technique to an industrial level, but there are still some challenges to be faced, e.g., to develop emulsion NMRP at low temperatures (lower than about 100?degrees C) with inexpensive, commercially available nitroxides such as TEMPO. Here, the emulsion NMRP of styrene using TEMPO at temperatures lower than 100?degrees C is described. An optimal control of molecular weights and polydispersities and a fast polymerization rate are obtained. (c) 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim