The Chemistry of Radical Polymerization

In the ten years since the first edition appeared the renaissance in Free Radical Polymerization has continued to gain momentum. In this second revised edition, the authors critically evaluate the findings of the last decade, where necessary reinterpreting earlier work in the light of these ideas, and point to the areas where current and future research is being directed. The overall aim is to provide a framework for further extending our understanding of free radical polymerization and create a definable link between synthesis conditions and polymer structure and properties. The authors have updated all chapters, and added many new references and two new chapters to reflect the significant advances made in radical polymerization. One new chapter has been devoted to the area of living radical polymerization which is now responsible for a very substantial fraction of the papers in the field.

In addition to offering polymers with unique compositions and properties not achievable with other methodologies, living radical polymerization has also been combined with other processes and mechanisms to give structures and architectures that were not previously thought possible. The developments are seen to have great application particularly in the emerging areas of electronics, biotechnology and nanotechnology.