Controlled aqueous polymerization of acrylamides and acrylates and in situ depolymerization in the presence of dissolved CO2

Aqueous copper-mediated radical polymerization of acrylamides and acrylates in carbonated water resulted in high monomer conversions (t < 10 min) before undergoing depolymerization (60 min > t > 10 min). The regenerated monomer was characterized and repolymerized following deoxygenation of the resulting solutions to reyield polymers in high conversions that exhibit low dispersities.