Chapter 7: Nitroxide-mediated Polymerization

Nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP) has emerged as a technique able to control the polymerization of a wide range of monomers and to allow the formation of block copolymers. This chapter discusses the fundamental mechanisms and the kinetics of the process, the development of nitroxides and alkoxyamines driven by the need to achieve improved control over a large number of monomers, the ability of NMP to produce complex polymer architectures, the effect of the polymerization process (bulk/solution vs. dispersed phase polymerization) and the influence of the type of reactor and industrial applications. The discussion highlights the most recent developments in all aspects of NMP whilst giving a perspective on how to promote the industrial use of the polymerization technique.