Radical polymerization in which growing chain ends reversibly exchange between active radicals and dormant species. Keeping the active-radical concentration small can reduce bimolecular termination and narrow the molar mass distribution. Termination and chain transfer may still occur, so reversible deactivation alone does not guarantee ideal living polymerization.
Controlled radical polymerization based on reversible trapping of growing radicals by a nitroxide, forming dormant alkoxyamines. Initiation and end-group retention must be controlled to obtain predictable chain length.
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Reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) is a type of controlled radical polymerization technique that allows for the regulation of polymer growth and the control of molecular weight, polydispersity, and architectures of the resulting polymers. This method addresses some of the challenges associated with traditional radical polymerization, such as the uncontrolled growth of polymer chains and the wide distribution of molecular weights.