title: Metal-free atom transfer radical polymerization.
abstract: Overcoming the challenge of metal contamination in traditional ATRP systems, a metal-free ATRP process, mediated by light and catalyzed by an organic-based photoredox catalyst, is reported. Polymerization of vinyl monomers are efficiently activated and deactivated with light leading to excellent control over the molecular weight, polydispersity, and chain ends of the resulting polymers. Significantly, block copolymer formation was facile and could be combined with other controlled radical processes leading to structural and synthetic versatility. We believe that these new organic-based photoredox catalysts will enable new applications for controlled radical polymerizations and also be of further value in both small molecule and polymer chemistry.
authors.affiliation: Materials Department, Materials Research Laboratory, University of California , Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States.
authors.forename: Nicolas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Treat
authors.forename: Hazel
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sprafke
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Bryan E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Read de Alaniz
authors.forename: Brett P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Fors
authors.forename: Craig J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hawker