Living polymerization

In polymer chemistry, Living polymerization is a special form of addition polymerization where the ability of a growing polymer chain to terminate has been removed. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. The result is that the polymer chains grow at a more constant rate than seen in traditional chain polymerization and their lengths remain very similar (i.e. they have a very low polydispersity index). Living polymerization is a popular method for synthesizing block copolymers since the polymer can be synthesized in stages, each stage containing a different monomer.

Related Topics:
Polymer - Addition polymerization - Polydispersity index - Copolymer - Monomer

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