title: Synthesis of branched polymers under continuous-flow microprocess: an improvement of the control of macromolecular architectures.
abstract: Polymerization reactions can benefit from continuous-flow microprocess in terms of kinetics control, reactants mixing or simply efficiency when high-throughput screening experiments are carried out. In this work, we perform for the first time the synthesis of branched macromolecular architecture through a controlled/'living' polymerization technique, in tubular microreactor. Just by tuning process parameters, such as flow rates of the reactants, we manage to generate a library of polymers with various macromolecular characteristics. Compared to conventional batch process, polymerization kinetics shows a faster initiation step and more interestingly an improved branching efficiency. Due to reduced diffusion pathway, a characteristic of microsystems, it is thus possible to reach branched polymers exhibiting a denser architecture, and potentially a higher functionality for later applications.
authors.affiliation: Groupe d'Intensification et d'Intrapolation des Procédés, Polymères (G2IP), Laboratoire d'Ingénierie des Polymères, pour les Hautes Technologies (LIPHT), EAc(CNRS) 4379, Ecole, Européenne de Chimie, Polymères et Matériaux (ECPM), Université de Strasbourg (UdS), 25 rue Becquerel, F-67087, Strasbourg Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bally
authors.forename: Christophe A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.forename: Cyril
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brochon
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hadziioannou
mesh_terms: D060326:Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D058105:Polymerization; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers