Chemists “re-write polymerisation process”

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Chemists at the University of Pennsylvania have created a new process, known as SET-LRP, for free radical polymerisation. This method takes place at room temperature, uses less metal catalyst to drive the reaction and requires a very short reaction time, said the University.

We have basically re-written the equation of how the polymerisation process can work, said Virgil Percec, a professor in Penn's Department of Chemistry. "The applications for the technology are enormous, ranging from medicine to coatings, from mouldable forms of rubber to electronics and even complex organic synthesis, all via these radical reactions," said the professor in a statement.

The technique, called Single Electron Transfer-Living Radical Polymerization (SET-LRP), also offers chemists greater control over the molecular architecture of the polymers they create and allows them to use materials that did not work with the traditional process, said the professor. The mechanism of the synthesis reaction works so well that there is very little worry about undesirable side reactions, and the resulting polymers do not need to be purified to remove the catalyst.

The SET-LRP mechanism can allow for a greater control over the three-dimensional structure of the polymers being created, Percec said. The overall process is not only more efficient, it also provides industrial chemists a new creative tool for building consumer and industrial.

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Abstract of paper (Journal of the American Chemical Society Vol. 128)

PDF of full paper (336k .PDF file -- requires login)

News release from University of Pennsylvania