title: Snowballing radical generation leads to ultrahigh molecular weight polymers.
abstract: Styrene is the classical monomer obeying zero-one kinetics in radical emulsion polymerization. Accordingly, particles that are less than 100 nm in diameter contain either one or no growing radical(s). We describe a unique photoinitiated polymerization reaction accelerated by snowballing radical generation in a continuous flow reactor. Even in comparison to classical emulsion polymerization, these unprecedented snowballing reactions are rapid and high-yielding, with each particle simultaneously containing more than one growing radical. This is a consequence of photoinitiator incorporation into the nascent polymer backbone and repeated radical generation upon photo-irradiation.
authors: Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 1, Potsdam, Germany.
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Laurino
authors: Hugo F
authors: HF
authors: Hernandez
authors: Judith
authors: J
authors: Bräuer
authors: Kathleen
authors: K
authors: Krüger
authors: Hansjörg
authors: H
authors: Grützmacher
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Tauer
authors: Peter H
authors: PH
authors: Seeberger
mesh_terms: D004655:Emulsions / Q000737:chemistry; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry; D010720:Phosphines / Q000737:chemistry; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D058105:Polymerization; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004655:Emulsions; D005609:Free Radicals; D010087:Oxides; D010720:Phosphines; D011108:Polymers; C044646:phosphine