Aqueous RAFT polymerization of acrylamide and N,N-dimethylacrylamide at room temperature

The first example of a room temperature reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization conducted directly in aqueous media is detailed. Under these conditions acrylamide and N,N-dimethylacrylamide may be polymerized in a controlled fashion to near quantitative conversions employing a difunctional trithio-carbonate chain transfer agent (CTA). Hydrolysis studies conducted at pH 5.5 suggest that the CTA is stable up to approximately 50 degrees C.